Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November) with a public statement in Diyarbakır (Amed) on Wednesday. Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (HEDEP) Committee for Peoples and Faiths participated in the event along with numerous representatives from civil society organisations, with a banner proclaiming in Kurdish, “We are with the people of Palestine, long live the fraternity of peoples.”
Mehmet Emin Ay from the Amed Religious Scholars Association expressed concern over the developments in Gaza under Israeli attacks. “The targeting of civilian settlements by the parties indicates an attempt to escalate the tension into warfare. We declare our opposition to any attacks on people in the region, regardless of faith and ethnic identity. We call for an immediate cessation of attacks on civilians,” Ay stated.
Ay went onto draw comparisons with rights violations experienced by Kurds and other peoples of the Middle East:
“Children are being killed daily in Rojava (West Kurdistan), Başûr (South Kurdistan), Rojhilat (East Kurdistan) and Bakûr (North Kurdistan) due to a corrupt mindset. This is why the pain of Palestine is profoundly understood by these peoples. We express our support and solidarity with the people of Palestine.
“The resolution of historical and current issues among peoples and faiths in the Middle East lies not in conflict and war but in diplomacy, dialogue, and negotiation. This reality applies as much to Israeli and Palestinian territories as it does to Syria, Iraq and Turkey.
“No state violence against people is legitimate or justifiable. To prevent the escalation of conflict in the region, we urgently call on the international community, institutions and organisations, especially the United Nations, to act immediately to end the conflict environment.”
