The Philippines Chapter of the ILPS expressed solidarity with the HDP, saying :"We are one with the struggles of the Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and every place where they are fighting for freedom and against terrorism."
The Philippines Chapter of the International League of Peoples' Struggle released a statement protesting the arrest of the HDP Co-Chairs, parliamentarians and mayors in police raids carried our in several cities in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.
The statement recalled that two leaders of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested last November 4 along with a dozen of its MPs. Journalists and editors of the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper were also arrested while major internet providers restricted access to Twitter, Facebook, and the WhatsApp social messaging app.
"We stand in solidarity with the Kurds and the Turkish people to demand the immediate release of those detained", ILPS-Philippines Chairperson Elmer Labog said. He added that they urged the Duterte government to file an urgent protest against the repression.
"The Erdogan regime is a US and EU ally, both of which were also criticized by Pres. Duterte in his public speeches. The Philippines Chapter of the ILPS is also seeking a support action in Congress to express solidarity with the HDP lawmakers" remarked the statement.
"We are one with the struggles of the Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq and every place where they are fighting for freedom and against terrorism. Their People's Defense Units (YPG) under the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are effectively fighting ISIS/Daesh in Northern Syria, in taking back Aleppo and Raqqa, and now Mosul in Iraq. The Turkish tanks and troops only seek to cut the expansion of the Kurds and abet the real terrorists", the ILPS Philippines said.
The statement by Secretary General of ILPS Philippines, Norma G. Biñas, said that local affiliates of the global activist alliance, ILPS, are set to picket outside the Turkish embassy on November 11 in the morning to condemn the Erdogan regime's on-going crackdown of the democratic opposition including the arrests of leaders of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
Remarking that they will inform all their member organizations about the arrest of the HDP parliamentarians and mayors and HDP Co-Chairs, ILPS Philippines added: "We are not allowed to enter the Dasmariñas village of the rich people and where the Embassy of Turkey is located. We have to hold our protest outside the guarded gates of the village. As per our previous protests we are not allowed to stay longer than 30 minutes."
