Lawmaker and HDP Foreign Relations Commission Co-Spokesperson Hisyar Özsoy spoke to ANF about Turkey's latest incursion into Kobanê and Rojava. Özsoy remarked that, contrary to the government statements, evidence in the Taksim bombing put the finger on jihadist groups supported by the government. Özsoy emphasized that the government has long been planning to attack Kurdish cities, especially Kobanê, and the Taksim explosion was used as a pretext to do so.

'TAKSIM EXPLOSION USED AS A PRETEXT'

“We do not know the accuracy of information circulated by the pro-government media, but there is one thing we are sure of: the bomb attack in Taksim was used as a pretext to attack the Kurds before the elections,” the HDP lawmaker said.

Özsoy pointed out that the latest Turkish assault had two aims. The first aim is to leave the Kurds with a political status and the second is to consolidate nationalist voters before the elections and to bring the opposition parties into alignment with the government. Özsoy emphasized that Kobanê has gained a symbolic and mythological meaning at least as much as Halabja in terms of the freedom struggle of the Kurds and added that Erdoğan wants to target Kobanê in order to achieve another "victory" before the election.

‘ATTACKS ARRIVE BEFORE EACH ELECTION!’

Özsoy stressed that the government resorted to a series of attacks before each election: “Before the 2015 elections, cross-border operations were carried out. A military operation was launched in Jarablus before the referendum in 2017, in Afrin before the parliamentary elections in 2018, and in Serêkaniyê-Grî Spî before the 2019 local elections. Therefore, before every election, there is a wave of attacks against northern Syria.”

‘MAIN OPPOSITION ALLIES WITH GOVERNMENT’

The HDP lawmaker said that the main opposition has joined forces with the government when it comes to anti-Kurdish military operations. “The main opposition cannot form a peace and democracy front against the nationalist and pro-war policies of the government in general. The HDP is trying to support democracy forces, but they are immediately targeted and detained. Erdoğan can always start a war and garner support. We have seen it once again in this latest attack,” he said.

'TURKEY GETS PERMISSION FROM RUSSIA TO USE AIRSPACE'

Özsoy also evaluated Erdoğan's announcement of a ground incursion and the positions of the USA and Russia. Özsoy said that both Russia and the US were informed beforehand during the previous attacks. “I don't know whether they negotiated with them to get permission, but it is obvious that Turkey is using the airspace controlled by Russia. In other words, it is not possible for them to use the airspace without informing the Russians. Erdogan now seems to be defying both countries, but Turkey is cooperating with Russia. Even though the US asked Turkey to deescalate tensions, it has obviously given support for the air strikes. However, Turkey has not yet obtained permission for ground operations.”

'THEY RESISTED AGAINST ISIS VIOLENCE AND WON'

The HDP lawmaker insisted that his party has a clear stance against the government’s war policies. He noted that the Kobanê resistance has gone down in history. Özsoy said that former party executives faced life imprisonment in ongoing trials and Turkish prosecutors wanted to close the party because of their support for Kobanê. “Even if they shut down our party or punish every one of us, HDP's stance on this issue does not change. The struggle in Kobanê was a struggle in favour of human dignity. Women and men resisted the brutality of ISIS and they won.”

'HDP IS LEFT ALONE'

Özsoy pointed out that the HDP has been left alone in its anti-war stance. For Özsoy, this war concerned not only the HDP but everyone. The HDP lawmaker pointed out that the government wanted to shape Turkey's domestic politics and future through these attacks against Kobanê and Rojava. “The main opposition will deeply regret it if it continues to act within the boundaries of Erdoğan’s policies,” he warned.

'OPPOSITION FOLLOWS THE AKP-MHP GOVERNMENT'

Özsoy underlined that the Kurdish one is one of the most important issues in Turkey, yet no solution has been offered to fix it so far. “This is not a normal offensive. 60-70 F16 jets keep bombing everywhere. The reason for this is the unresolved Kurdish issue. However, we have not seen any reaction from the opposition about the war and the Kurdish issue. They immediately went after the AKP-MHP government. If the opposition is really serious, it should see that the Taksim explosion or the attack on Kobanê are not isolated incidents and will be used by the government in a way that will affect the election results. Therefore, they should adopt an attitude accordingly.”

‘THOSE WHO FAIL TO CONFRONT KURDISH ISSUE CANNOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE’

Özsoy maintained that those who cannot show courage to confront the Kurdish issue cannot make a big difference in the other issues of the country. “They realize the scheme Erdoğan put forward, but they remain silent because they are either nationalists themselves or are afraid of a nationalist wave. It is the nationalist populist policies that have already devastated the country. The government is already taking advantage of a nationalist, militarist and populist climate. The important thing is to be able to create a different climate against it,” Özsoy concluded.