Turkish administration should be brought to account

The political agenda of Turkey is so messed up that one does not even know where to start from.

Should we write about the US decision on Turkey, or talk about Erdoğan’s unforgettable visit to Russia? We may choose to evaluate the expulsion of the ambassadors from Turkey, who made a statement for Osman Kavala. Should we dwell on the military attacks against Rojava each day or putting the AKP-MHP government into the gray list of money laundering? Should we focus on the collapse of the AKP-MHP following its defeat and deepening crisis against the guerrilla forces in South Kurdistan. It’s really hard to choose.

It is better to focus on the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army against the Medya Defense Zones and to bring Chemical Tayyip to account for that.

The use of chemical weapons by the Turkish state against Kurdish guerrillas in the 1990s has been addressed and discussed many times over the years.

However, since April 23, 2021, the allegation that chemical weapons are used during the Turkish attacks against the Metina, Zap and Avaşîn regions has been frequently made.

First, reporters who went to the guerrilla resistance areas expressed this claim and provided some documents, then some guerrillas who were the target of chemical weapons attack and survived gave concrete information. This information contained the most concrete evidence.

Most recently, HPG Central Headquarters Command has extensively informed the domestic and foreign public opinion about the issue.

It has now become clear: the AKP-MHP fascism uses chemical weapons in the Medya Defense Zones.

Although these weapons are mostly used against the guerrillas, the civilian population in the region is also targeted to a certain extent.

Turkey’s military failure in the Metîna, Zap and Avaşîn regions which followed the Garê defeat in mid-February has led the Erdoğan administration to use more chemical weapons.

In this way, Erdoğan wants to avoid his collapse and maintain his power. In other words, what Saddam did in Halabja is currently being done by Erdoğan in Metina, Zap and Avaşîn.

Since we are not lawyers, we cannot evaluate the current issues from a legal point of view. However, we are dealing with a war, and we know that there is a law of war.

We know that the use of chemical weapons is prohibited and constitutes a crime according to the laws of war. Everyone already knows about it.

For example, the US cited possession of chemical weapons as the most important justification when attacking Saddam Hussein’s administration. The use of chemical weapons in Halabja has been considered as proof of this claim.

In short, the AKP-MHP administration has chemical weapons and uses it against the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas in the Medya Defense Zones. In the meantime, chemical weapons also affect the civilians in the area.

The local people in Metîna, Zap and Avaşîn are displaced from their villages by the Turkish forces to conceal the use of chemical weapons.

For this reason, the Turkish army bombs, burns the land and cuts down the forests. All this has been carried out frequently in the Medya Defense Zones over the past six months.

Despite the efforts of the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas, there has not been much interest in the issue in all of Kurdistan, especially in South Kurdistan, and foreign public opinion.

Most recently, the free press has reported on it and there have been concerns raised in some foreign countries, especially in England.

It seems that the issue will be discussed further following HPG Central Headquarters Commander Murat Karayılan’s latest statement.

109 intellectuals from South Kurdistan issued a joint call to the UN and the international institution that prohibits the use of chemical weapons. It is also reported that 44 Iraqi intellectuals made similar call.

In this context, both the Turkish invasion attacks against South Kurdistan and the use of chemical weapons against the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla are very likely to be discussed more in the coming days.

Undoubtedly, the initiatives of the intellectuals from South Kurdistan and Iraq are very important. We need to thank them. However, these initiatives are both late and insufficient.

Mass demonstrations should have been organized long ago against the Turkish occupation and the use of chemical weapons in South Kurdistan and Iraq. The protests could have been more organized and integrated.

The reactions could have gone beyond the intellectuals and included the entire society and political forces. What has happened is late and inadequate, yet it is of great importance to initiate campaigns like these.

In fact, all the peoples of South Kurdistan and Iraq should take to the streets against the Turkish occupation and the use of chemical weapons.

Because the occupation and the use of chemical weapons target them directly. Moreover, the peoples over there suffered the most from the use of chemical weapons as in the case of the Halabja massacre.

Furthermore, similar reactions should be given in a more organized way in North Kurdistan and Turkey.

Because it is the AKP-MHP fascism administration that carries out invasion attacks against Iraq and uses chemical weapons. In other words, the Turkish invasion and chemical attacks are carried out against the peoples of Turkey and the northern Kurds.

The AKP-MHP fascism continues its fascist terror in Turkey and genocide in North Kurdistan as occupation and chemical attacks against Rojava and South Kurdistan.

Therefore, the invasion and chemical attacks remain a source of concern for the peoples of North Kurdistan and Turkey.

However, addressing the above-mentioned attacks, discussing and fighting against them remain ineffectual. A discourse of “national unity” has been introduced in North Kurdistan and Turkey.

However, what really matters is the Turkish invasion and chemical attacks in Medya Defense Zones by the AKP-MHP administration.

It is the duty of the peoples of North Kurdistan and Turkey, more than anyone else, to address the issue and oppose it.

Since this is not done, an internal struggle against the AKP-MHP fascism remains pointless.

It seems that a final blow to the disintegrating and collapsing AKP-MHP fascism somehow cannot be delivered. Chemical Tayyip Administration is not forced to resign.

People seem to pin their hope on a general election which remains uncertain. It is almost like such an election moment is expected and sought.

However, it is necessary to take to the streets to protest against the occupation and chemical attacks of the AKP-MHP fascism.

It is necessary to demand the resignation of Erdoğan’s administration which has lost its control over the country.

Erdoğan and and his ally Devlet Bahçeli, like dictators everywhere, do not want to lose their administration because they know that they will be held accountable. They are afraid of what will happen to them when they are overthrown because they have suppressed opposition over the years and introduced the cruellest persecution in the history of modern Turkey.

They also fear that tens of millions who have lived under oppression and exploitation for years will one day bring them to account.

However, cowards die many times before their deaths. Whatever they do, they will have to give an account for what they have done.

What is important here is that this process should be short and come early, and that the persecution in question should not cause more harm.

This also depends on us and our creative common struggle. Therefore, it is necessary to expand the struggle to bring the AKP-MHP fascism to account.