Erdoğan government ‘wages war in Kurdistan to prolong its life,’ says HDP

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has criticized the government over a new military operation into the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) territory in Iraq’s north.

“This is a war to prolong the life of the government. Those who remain silent are accomplices,” the party’s Central Executive Committee said today (April 18) in a written statement.

The HDP accused President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and their allies Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of “resorting to war to save themselves at the cost of dragging Turkey into a disaster.”

Earlier today, the Turkish Armed forces launched an operation involving special operation forces and armed drones, targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The latest in a series of operations into the region dubbed as the “Claw Operations” since May 2019, the offensive focuses on Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan areas, according to the Ministry of National Defense.

“As the ‘Claw-Lock’ military offensive is not legitimate, it is against international law as well. It is a dangerous attempt to invade the land of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” said the HDP.

“These attacks will not solve any of Turkey’s problems, as they haven’t until now; on the contrary, it will deepen the economic, political and social problems of Turkey, as experienced in the last 40 years,” the party said, referring to the decades-long conflict between the army and the PKK.

“People will pay the price”

The operation intends to “normalize” the deep poverty and economic depression, according to the HDP.

“The peoples of Turkey have paid the price of all such attacks with the lives of their children and by becoming poorer. Insisting on policies of war … despite knowing these facts is the biggest crime against the peoples of Turkey.”

The Russia-Ukraine war and “hypocrisy”

The HDP further criticized the government for starting a military incursion into the Kurdistan Region while carrying out mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

“The AKP is a party that fuels war both internally and externally, and that benefits from war,” it said, adding that the operation exposed the AKP’s “fake peace diplomacy.”

“The really critical point is the stance of those who really want peace rather than the hypocritical approach of the government. Those who oppose the war in Ukraine should not remain silent against the military operations in the territory of the Kurdistan Regional government.” (EMK/VK)