Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, has urged a re-evaluation of Turkey’s trade relations with Israel, criticising the Turkish government’s insincere approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict and its implications for the Kurdish community.
Bakırhan’s call came during the second extraordinary congress of the DEM Party’s Tunceli (Dêrsim) provincial organisation on Saturday. He emphasised that Turkey’s ongoing Kurdish issue remains a significant barrier to achieving peace and happiness in both Tunceli and the wider country.
In his speech, Bakırhan focused on the crisis within the capitalist system, which he argued necessitates wars for its survival, with the Middle East and the Kurdish regions being the primary battlegrounds. Specifically, he critiqued the Turkish government’s dual policy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict. He pointed out that while expressing sympathy for Palestine, the government maintains strong commercial ties with Israel. Bakırhan highlighted that materials for the walls encircling Gaza are supplied by Turkey. He called for a re-evaluation of these trade relations if the government truly stands with the Palestinian people.
