HDK: Ankara attack would only benefit fascism

A nationalist mob in the Turkish capital Ankara roamed the Altındağ district on Wednesday evening, leaving a trail of devastation and terror. About a thousand people marched through the neighbourhoods of Battalgazi, Önder and Çamlık shouting insults. Some people were armed with clubs and other objects, and attacked the homes, shops and cars of Syrian refugees. The windows of several shops were smashed and looted, the inventory was destroyed and some were set on fire. Several cars were also set on fire and destroyed. Stones were thrown against residential buildings, and at least one child was injured.

According to Turkish media reports, this violence was preceded by a knife fight the day before. A Syrian refugee was suspected to have stabbed an 18-year-old Turk and injured another on Tuesday evening after a dispute. It is unclear why the dispute broke out. But immediately after the incident, an aggressive mob attacked Syrian houses and businesses in Altındağ. Police intervened with water cannons and drove the crowd away. Several Syrian families were evacuated from the neighbourhood that night for their own protection.

The Executive Board of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) issued a written statement in response to Wednesday’s racist attack on Syrian refugees in Altındağ.

According to the statement, “The government’s expansionist war goals have resulted in hypocritical actions against immigration. We, supporters of labor, democracy and peace, are well aware that administrations that leave the masses unemployed, hungry, and insecure always want to eliminate their reactions and objections. They invented a ‘other.’ These ‘others’, who were Kurdish people during the forest fires, are now Syrian refugees.”

‘ONLY FACISM BENEFITS FROM RACIST ATTACKS’

The statement also included the following:

“The pogrom attempt is not independent from the government. Anyone who attempts to take advantage of the hostile climate will be on a risky pathway.

We will not allow Europe and the AKP-MHP government to gather power over the peoples of the Middle East.

We call on the authorities to take urgent measures, reveal those who are responsible, and put an end to this dangerous trend.

We expose their hypocritical colonial tactics which cause people to hurt each other, and we urge all peoples of Turkey, particularly the people of Altındağ, to refrain from racist and unfriendly provocations.

It is not the people fleeing from starvation and violence who are to blame for what we are seeing. We know that  only fascism thrives on racist uprisings.”