The Executive Council Co-presidency of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) expressed their sympathy to the relatives of the earthquake victims in the Aegean on Friday and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

The KCK statement which calls for solidarity includes the following:

"Disasters like earthquakes require social solidarity at the highest level. Especially natural disasters create an awareness of this, regardless of the identity of those affected. This is an obligation that stems from the model of a democratic nation. What has happened now in Izmir can happen tomorrow in another place in Turkey and Kurdistan. The solidarity that we are now showing as an imperative of neighborliness is at the same time a favour and solidarity towards ourselves. In a country like Turkey, where peoples and religious communities are stirred up against each other and a strong polarization is being promoted, solidarity is the medicine for such diseases.”

According to the KCK, solidarity can counteract polarization and bring the population groups closer together.

"In pre-capitalist times, societies were solidaristic. Capitalism has weakened this trait and made individuals dependent on the state. Never in history has humanity been so dependent on states as it is today. In the case of natural disasters, the value of a culture of neighborly help is shown, which is in contrast to the materialistic and individualistic culture of capitalism. The Kurdish people in all places are ready to share and alleviate the pain of their neighbors and brothers and sisters," the KCK statement highlighted.