Citizens from Kurdish majority cities of Diyarbakır (Amed) and Van (Wan) in Turkey who were interviewed displayed their anger at the repression against Kurds inside Turkey and across the border in Northern Iraq.
Interviewed on the street by Mezopotamya News Agency, people showed their reactions both to the repression against Kurdish politicians in Turkey and to the new military operations of the Turkish armed forces in Kurdistan Region of Iraq and to the cooperation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), the ruling party of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq.
Speaking to reporters on the street Gıyasettin Kılıç expressed his opinion about the dozens of Kurdish politicians who have been detained again recently, saying this kind of repression was not new to him. “This dirty policy has been pursued for a century. We are not unfamiliar to this. We know our history, our friends and our enemies well. There are thousands of people arrested. What is their crime? They are politicians, mayors, journalists, party members… Nobody has a free life.”
Necat Ocaklı, also from Diyarbakır said that the Kobane events had taken place 7-8 years before and asked why are these charges being only are being filed today. “Kobane events took place 7-8 years ago. Why are the claims only filed now? This is in order to dissolve the HDP tomorrow during the elections. Kurds are not the Kurds of 50 years ago anymore. Now they know, they are educated, they do business. So the Kurds know everything. People should not stay silent. Look at Cizre. They raided the party building, they detained party members but the people started a vigil until those detained were released. So people should take action. We also condemn Mesrur [Barzani] coming here. They come here to shape their dirty plans. I guess they have plans for an operation.”
Some people interviewed in Van (Wan) also spoke out showing their reactions to the military operations Turkey launched in Kurdistan region of Iraq and the cooperation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Adnan Ediş from Van said that KDP pursued a policy benefiting family interests while Bilal Aksız told the reporters that the people did not accept the policies of KDP. “People do not accept them. Each time they cheat against Kurdish people. We do not approve in any way, we do not find their way correct.” he said.
