Altun: CHP’s insincere, racist border discourse

Instead of pursuing a democratic course, the Turkish Republican People’s Party (CHP) relies on chauvinism and racism. Under the slogan “Borders are honor,” the party plays on resentment against refugees from Afghanistan. While the external borders of the Turkish state are apparently “the honor” of the CHP, the party supports the occupation of territories in northern Syria and southern Kurdistan. In an interview with ANF, Hayrettin Altun, co-chairman of the HDP member party Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Amed (tr. Diyarbakır), assessed the CHP’s current policies.

CHP: “Spokesperson of the racist mobs”

Altun points to an increasing escalation of racist discourse and attacks in Turkey and accuses the CHP of making itself the spokesperson for the racist mobs. With racist demands such as those of CHP Mayor Tanju Özcan, in which he demanded that refugees be charged ten times as much for utilities, the line to fascism has already been crossed, he said.

“Refugees are used as a means of political bluff”

Altun continues, “From the times of the one-party state in Turkey until today, we still see the CHP at the center of the state. The Turkish state has violated the borders of Libya, Syria and other Arab countries, but the CHP has put up the banner ‘Borders are Honor’ as if someone has violated their borders. There is no border violation here. There are victims who are forced to leave their countries because of the policies of Turkey and similar countries. Those who are forced to travel through Turkey on their way to Europe are used as a means of a political bluff.”

“Hasn’t Turkey violated the borders of Rojava, then?”

Altun points out that the Turkish state itself does not suffer border violations, but permanently tramples over the borders of others. This is supported by CHP, he says and continues, “Today, the state is trying to suggest unity. This includes that of the CHP. If it concerns things outside of Turkishness, then this becomes clear. So like, for example, in the Kurdish question. The worries about borders are complete hoaxes. For example, look at what is happening in Afrin. Afrin is in Kurdistan and officially within Syria’s borders.

“CHP voted ‘yes’ on invasion of northern Syria”

Today, Afrin is occupied and both underground and above-ground resources are being plundered and put on the market by the Turkish state. The same situation prevails in Girê Spî and Serêkaniyê. The CHP has agreed to this occupation. It voted ‘yes’ in the parliament in the decision on cross-border actions.”

“The appointment of trustees is also a border violation”

Altun concludes by saying, “The Kurdish community now knows exactly what is what. The Kurdish people will not forget this racist attitude and the policy of the CHP. Therefore, this insincere line must be exposed even further. When trustees were appointed to municipalities here in the region, none of them said anything against it. Those who did say something were not loud enough. Isn’t the appointment of trustees also a border violation? Isn’t the usurpation of democratic rights a border violation? Those who sit here and support the idea of trustees in Turkey are part of the biggest border violation. When ISIS occupied Syria, didn’t its mercenaries travel in and out through Turkey every day and violate the borders? Even today, everyone crosses those borders unless they are Kurdish.”