“Advocating for peace in Gaza while bombing Syria is hypocrisy”, declared Meral Danış Beştaş, the group deputy chairwoman of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Green Left Party, in a press conference on Thursday.
Beştaş’s comments come amid the Turkish government’s vocal condemnation of the Israel-Gaza conflict, while paradoxically maintaining strong ties with Hamas. Recent press conferences featuring Hamas executives and AKP-allied Turkish Islamist parties have further complicated the narrative.
Beştaş sharply criticised the Turkish government’s conflicting policies on regional conflicts, particularly its military operations in North and East Syria, which commenced on 5 October and have led to significant civilian casualties. She stressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “This is not just about inconsistent policies; it’s about the lives that are being lost due to these contradictions”.
Beştaş also questioned the government’s claims about the origins of the attackers in a recent bombing incident in Ankara. “They assert that the attackers came from North and East Syria but offer no concrete data or evidence. They simply say, ‘We declare it is legitimate; you must accept it’, despite past incidents that have proved otherwise”, she said, citing an 2015 attack in Ceylanpınar as a prime example in which similar initial claims were later debunked.
“You extend an olive branch to Palestine, you become a dove of peace, but you hold a bomb against the Kurds”, Beştaş pointed out, highlighting the government’s double standards. She also criticised the international community, saying, “The world is currently silent. We see discussions about Palestine, but we don’t see any discussion about North and East Syria”.
Accusing the government of violating international humanitarian law by targeting civilian infrastructure in Syria, Beştaş added, “International mechanisms and states have constantly turned the Middle East into a war zone, leading to ongoing deaths in North and East Syria and Gaza.”
She further emphasised the need for dialogue, stating, “The solution to the Kurdish issue in North and East Syria and in Turkey is definitely peace, dialogue and non-conflict”. Beştaş also called for the involvement of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), saying, “Lift the isolation! Let Mr Öcalan get involved. I once again reiterate that he can solve this as a interlocutor”.
Beştaş concluded by questioning the government’s sincerity, stating, “We see a practice of government that knows no bounds in hypocrisy. We and the world, therefore, do not trust your sincerity.”