The Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and Free Women's Movement (TJA) organised a demonstration at the border of the Suruç district of Urfa, bordering the northern Syrian city of Kobanê, to protest the latest wave of attacks by the Turkish state and allied jihadist gangs against North and East Syria.

Speaking at the protest action, Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said: “Our struggle will continue until an order is established in the region where peace, tranquility and brotherhood of peoples are established. We have watched this film before. After the Syrian war started in 2011, ISIS and its derivative organisations, which were almost manufactured by foreign powers, were unleashed into Syria. Organisations derived from ISIS have now changed their name and become HTS or the Syrian National Army. All of them are fed from the same source, by the same power.”

Hatimoğulları pointed out that: “As we said before, what Turkey needs to do is the politics of peace, diplomacy and dialogue. We said that the security of our 911-kilometre-long border with Syria can be maintained through peace. We said that if you trust these gangs, who turn the values of Islam into tools for their political ambitions, they will hit you. The massacres perpetrated by ISIS in Turkey, in European countries and America are obvious. We have not forgotten the Suruç Massacre, we have not forgotten the Ankara Train Station Massacre, we have not forgotten the wedding massacre in Antep, we have not forgotten the massacres carried out by ISIS in Istanbul, and in the heart of Ankara. Those they trained and equipped turned back and hit Turkey. This was done knowingly and willingly by this government, which also turned a blind eye to the 10 October Train Station Massacre in order to prolong its life.”

Tülay Hatimoğulları emphasised the need for peace in Syria and said that paramilitary groups are poisoning the peace environment. She continued: “Every game you play in Syria hits back the people of Turkey. Every negative step you take in Syria hits us. Since you refrain from resolving the Kurdish issue through peaceful and democratic methods, you no longer have a say in the region. Even your call for peace does not receive any response in the region. The Kurdish question must be resolved through peaceful and democratic methods. A Turkey that has solved the Kurdish question will feel more secure.  A Turkey that has solved the Kurdish question should also work for the status for the Kurdish people in Syria and Rojava, which they have achieved through their practice and struggle, to be officialised. It should work for the writing of a democratic constitution in Syria. The first step to be taken is the realisation of some of the decisions of the Astana talks. The most important agreement at the Astana talks was the disarmament of the gangs in Idlib who used religious sentiments for their political and evil ambitions. But they did the opposite, they armed them more in Idlib and now they have caused a brand-new war and conflict to break out. This process will not benefit the peoples of Turkey and the region. The most important thing that should happen in a place in such chaos is the realisation of Turkish-Kurdish-Arab peace. Turkey should work for this. But they are doing the opposite. These borders separated by a ruler cannot be a boundary between peoples. This is a region united by the feelings, thoughts and cultural values of the peoples. For this reason, we say hereby once again that we will definitely wage our struggle for an honourable peace. The peoples of the Middle East are brothers and sisters, and no one should try to put a wedge between them.”

HDK Co-spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş referred to the previous attacks on North-East Syria and said, “Kurdish people and their friends stopped the ISIS attacks in the past. We will also stop attacks today as well. We will stand with one heart against the gangs and enemies of humanity there. We are confident in our strength in this regard.”

Stating that the Middle East has turned into a fireball and the peoples are facing the threat of massacre, Meral Danış Beştaş said, “They designate an entire people as terrorists. Millions of people there have established an equal and fair administration. Rojava has resisted for its own land and future. But the Turkish administration is conducting a politics that treats it as an enemy and confronts it. The ruling bloc did not withdraw its weapons from the Kurdish people 10 years ago and does not stop threatening the Kurdish people today.”