Last Wednesday, three bodies were found during restoration work in the former central prison of Amed (tr. Diyarbakir) in the Sur district, which was almost completely destroyed by the Turkish army in the 2016 urban war. In the 1990s, the Turkish military intelligence service JITEM, responsible for thousands of murders of civilians, used the prison as an interrogation centre. At the time, this centre was referred to as the address of the "disappeared". In January 2012, body parts were discovered during construction work, whereupon the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office took over the matter, but after that, never a word was spoken publicly about the discovery. Every time a pickaxe is driven into the ground, bodies are discovered under former state offices in Kurdistan. The Diyarbakir prison had a twofold notorious reputation in the 1980s; one as one of the worst torture prisons in the world, the other as the symbol of resistance.

Threats against Greece

Last Wednesday, the Turkish military conducted a military exercise called "Efes 2022" over the Greek Aegean islands. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally took part in the military exercise and again threatened with hypocritical arguments such as the militarisation of the islands by Greece, which is why Turkey no longer recognises Greek sovereignty there. Yet it was NATO countries like the US and France that moved their military bases to the islands and made a pact with Greece. Erdoğan threatened on Twitter in Greek: "Greece will regret it like a hundred years ago if it doesn't watch its approach, words and deeds." Again on the same day, Erdoğan announced his candidacy for the 2023 presidential election, in which the AKP will again run in alliance with the fascist MHP.

Attack against Rojava

Even as Erdoğan flexes his muscles in the Aegean, he is actually eyeing democratic self-rule in northern and eastern Syria. On Wednesday, the US president's security adviser, Jack Sullivan, spoke on the phone with the Turkish president's adviser, Ibrahim Kalin. During the phone call, Sullivan made it clear that the US does not think much of a military operation in Rojava. Assistant Secretary of State at the US State Department Barbara Leaf also told the Foreign Affairs Committee that the US has made it clear to Turkey that it is opposed to a Turkish military operation in northeast Syria. However, she certainly does not expect Turkey to refrain from a military operation because of US objections. Whether Erdoğan will see this statement as a green light for his so often invoked military operation remains to be seen. In his speech on Thursday, he underlined: "Along our border, we will establish a security zone 30 kilometres deep. In doing so, we will not only banish terrorist organisations from our borders, but also ensure the security of our neighbours. We will not accept any corridor of terror and I want to emphasise that we will fill in the missing parts of the security zone."

Erdoğan went on to say that he hoped that "Turkey's allies and friends" would understand Turkey's security concerns and that no one would make a choice in favour of the "terrorists". This seems to be his message to the US. While the Biden administration publicly opposes an attack on Rojava, what is being negotiated behind closed doors is not yet clear. Especially since the Turkish military operation is staking out as targets the towns of Tel Rifat and Manbij, which are under the jurisdiction of the Russian military. Furthermore, a not insignificant number of Iranian troops are stationed in Tel Rifat. On Thursday, Russia also publicly spoke out against a military operation by Turkey in the areas mentioned. Now it depends on how Turkey will act.

While Erdoğan accuses the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria of terrorism, Turkish drones and artillery regularly bomb them, killing civilians. Southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) is also bombed daily by the Turkish air force in violation of international law. Turkish ground forces are trying to make progress in the liberated areas in Southern Kurdistan, such as Avaşîn, Metîna, Heftanîn, Xarkurke and Zap, despite heavy losses. The Turkish war of aggression extends over 100 kilometres deep into Southern Kurdistan territory.

Raids and arrests in Turkey

Inside Turkey, too, hardly a week goes by without raids and arrests. Arrests of politically active women, the detention of 20 Kurdish journalists and the repression of other activists are part of this now normalised regularity and everyday life of Kurds in Turkey.

And what is the attitude of the opposition in Turkey? Like the rulers, the so-called opposition around the CHP, the Table of Six, understands politics as a means by Turks for Turks. They try to solve all their problems by force. When it comes to Turkey's neighbours and minorities, they all line up behind the regime. That is why there is hardly anyone with whom they are not in a twist and no minority with whom they have made peace. Whether secular or religious, Turkish politics is militaristic and domineering; it will not hesitate to embark on adventures that will end in disaster. Therefore, Erdoğan will direct his anger against the Kurds and establish a state of war in order to win the elections under these conditions. The so-called six-party round does not have any other alternative, because it does not leave the framework of Turkey's reason of state. It is quite possible that Erdoğan will wait until the next NATO summit, but his election calendar will be decisive. With a military operation in Rojava, a state of war and emergency will be declared, muzzling any opposition and putting it behind bars. And since there is no real opposition in Turkey, Erdoğan will also win the next elections with his war and nationalist-militarist rhetoric.

To return to the beginning, the discovery of bodies in the former JITEM interrogation centre; no matter who was in power in Turkey, everyone always agreed that any injustice would be buried once Turkish interests were at stake. That is the Turkish reason of state. It was like that in the 1920s, the 1990s, the 2000s; and it will remain like that until a somehow characterised end.