The dismantling of established institutions in Turkey, including the Constitutional Court, is part of a wider strategy to establish a “fascist state”, said Cemil Bayık, the co-chair of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), in a recent interview with Sterk TV.
🔴The dismantling of established institutions in Turkey is part of a wider strategy to establish a "fascist state", said Cemil Bayık, the co-chair of the Kurdistan Communities Union, in a recent interview.#IsraelPalestineConflict | #Erdogan | #KCK
🔗https://t.co/JlvHoFt5tq pic.twitter.com/Nf0ptr1ChR
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) November 18, 2023
Sharing his perspective on the current political scene in Turkey, Bayık addressed the recent move by the Turkish judiciary, where the Court of Cassation filed criminal charges against members of the Constitutional Court (AYM), a move seen as undermining the authority of the AYM, and underlined the erosion of democratic institutions and the consolidation of power by the Turkish government.
According to Bayık, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its far-right ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), want to neutralise the AYM in their quest for a Turkish-Islamic synthesis in order to further consolidate their regime.
Bayık also criticised the Turkish opposition for allegedly supporting the government’s agenda and contributing to the erosion of democratic principles.
Regarding Erdoğan and the AKP’s push for a new constitution, Bayık expressed scepticism, stating that Erdoğan’s assertion of the need for a new constitution is deceptive. According to Bayık, Erdoğan’s promise of a democratic constitution is a mockery, as the intended constitution is, in fact, “wholly fascist”. Bayık emphasised the impossibility of establishing a democratic constitution within the current political context.
The KCK executive drew parallels between the current political climate in Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s diversionary tactics, citing Erdoğan’s recent focus on the Constitutional Court amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. According to Bayık, these tactics are aimed at diverting public attention from important domestic issues and maintaining the AKP-MHP alliance’s grip on power.
On international affairs, Bayık condemned the actions in the ongoing war in Gaza and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people. He called on the global movements, especially socialist groups and those who stand for freedom and democracy, to step up their efforts to oppose the Israeli government’s actions and to put pressure on the respective states to really address the issue.
Bayık further criticised Erdoğan’s alleged double standards when it comes to dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, accusing him of using the situation for personal gains and pursuing a hidden agenda regarding the Kurdish question.
The KCK co-chair said that Erdoğan’s support for Palestine was a facade, claiming that the warplanes responsible for bombing Palestine had undergone training in Turkey’s central province of Konya and that all their planes were fuelled with resources from Turkey.
“Trade relations between Turkey and Israel have reached unprecedented levels and continue even in times of conflict,” Bayık continued. “This seems to be a deal made at the expense of the well-being of the Palestinian people, raising questions about Turkey’s true commitment to supporting them.”
According to Bayık, Erdoğan is using the Palestinian issue as a bargaining chip by proposing a quid pro quo that includes the designation of the Palestinian armed group Hamas and the People’s Defence Units (YPG), the Kurdish-led militia in Syria, as terrorists. This manoeuvre serves Erdoğan’s hidden agenda of the completion of what Bayık defined as the genocide of the Kurds.
