🔶Families of soldiers from modest backgrounds in Turkey are disproportionately affected by the tragedies of war, says DEM Party Co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları. (@TulayHatim)#DEMParti | #DefendRojava | #BorderOperations
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The families of Turkish soldiers from modest backgrounds are disproportionately affected by the tragedies of war, said Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, on Tuesday, stressing the need for a peace-oriented approach to both domestic and regional conflicts.
Speaking at her party’s weekly group meeting, Hatimoğulları highlighted the class divisions within the grief experienced by the families of soldiers killed in Turkey’s cross-border operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.
“Mourning has no colour, but it has a class,” Hatimoğulları remarked. “We see children from poor families doing their military service, and these families are the ones who receive the news of death. No one from the palace and its supporters ever receives such news,” she added, highlighting the disparity between the living conditions of impoverished families and those connected to the ruling elite.
The Co-chair further broadened her discourse to include Turkey’s ongoing attacks in the Kurdish-led autonomous regions in Syria known as Rojava, condemning the bombing of civilian areas. Hatimoğulları stressed that Rojava defends against the Islamic State (ISIS) and serves as a frontline in the fight against global threats. She called for international attention and solidarity with the defacto region.
Hatimoğulları concluded her statement by expressing concern about internal divisions and conflicts within Turkey and called for a peaceful and democratic solution to long-standing issues such as the Kurdish question. She recalled past attempts at dialogue and peace-building and stressed the importance of revisiting these initiatives for the greater good.
