The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Central Executive Board issued a written statement regarding the operations launched by Turkey against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Metina, Avaşin, and Zap (also known as Medya Defence Zones) in Iraqi Kurdistan on 23 April.
“Turkey has been carrying out air and ground operations on the territory of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, under the name of ‘border security’, since 1983,” declared the HDP in its statement. “Such systematic cross-border operations do nothing more than foster war and conflict. Despite the inconclusive results, the insistence of Turkey on these cross-border operations continues.”
The HDP emphasised the costs of this strategy: “The results of these operations are civilian deaths, the evacuation and burning of villages, and ecological destruction.”
The HDP also pointed out that Turkey’s government has always used these operations to stay in power. “They manipulate people, they hide the real costs of war politics from people. Unfortunately they continue with this mistake. The latest example of it is the operations launched against the Iraqi Kurdistan region,” said the HDP, and continued: “The locals of the affected region are also protesting these operations.”
The statement went on: “They claim that they are launching the operations on the grounds of border security, but the real reason for these military operations is the mentality that ignores the Kurdish question, insists on conflict, and is based on security policies.
“In a country going through an economic, social, and political crisis, deprived of food, jobs, and vaccines, it is not in the interest of people to allocate economic resources to the war, conflict, and arms at a time of daily unemployment and suicides. This attitude is not only a waste of the past but also a waste of the present and future.
“Whenever the government has a deadlock in foreign and domestic politics, it immediately launches cross-border operations. The answer given by the Central Bank Governor to the question ‘Where is 128 billion dollars?’ was ‘Our warplanes do not fly for free’. It is the latest proof of the government’s wasteful attitude.”
The HDP pointed out that the only way to find mutual peace is through dialogue and negotiation. “Let us emphasise once again that the only correct way is dialogue and negotiation on peaceful and democratic grounds. As the HDP, we repeat our call for dialogue and invite all institutions and organisations, especially the public, to be more sensitive in the current circumstances.”