Turkey has been gripped by debate after the January 6 attacks on Rojava and the Kurdish people by mercenaries affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish state, as segments of political Islamists and Islamist intellectuals moved to openly defend HTS and the ISIS. As genocidal attacks against the Kurds intensified, numerous figures in Turkey who present themselves as “opposition” and “intellectuals” issued pro-ISIS statements and began defending HTS and allied mercenary groups, refusing to stand with the Kurdish resistance.
Statements of this nature, particularly from circles that have long claimed an oppositional stance, have drawn widespread criticism, while explicit support for massacres from Islamic circles has also attracted attention.
Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, an MP from the People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and a human rights defender, spoke to ANF about the pro-ISIS rhetoric emerging from Islamist circles in Turkey.
Gergerlioğlu said hostility toward Kurds has become deeply entrenched in the country, describing a pervasive hypocrisy. He said: “Unfortunately, in our country, hostility toward Kurds has turned into a widespread and deeply rooted illness. There are many who claim to stand with Kurds, but this support often remains merely rhetorical. A mindset that says ‘as long as Kurds do not see daylight’ or ‘as long as Kurds do not prosper’ still holds strong. For this reason, we are facing an insincere and hypocritical structure.”
Being disturbed by Kurds having rights is divisive
Gergerlioğlu said that when the Kurdish issue comes to the fore, a hidden “Turkishness contract” is activated, noting that discomfort arises simply from Kurds possessing rights. Gergerlioğlu continued: “Unfortunately, when the Kurdish issue comes onto the agenda, as seen even in the first question, an invisible ‘shared Turkishness contract’ comes into effect. People from almost every segment of society reflexively move into a defensive position against Kurds. This cannot be explained by conscience; this is outright fanaticism.
Fanaticism is precisely destructive. Identity-based thinking is devastating. There is no blindness as severe as refusing to understand one another. And there is no form of divisiveness as deep and dangerous as being disturbed by a Kurd having a right, an opportunity, or an achievement. They need to see this, but unfortunately, they persist in the same mindset.
There are, of course, those who do not want the process. There are circles in which nationalism takes precedence over Islamism and, for this reason, maintain a distance from the idea of peace. That is why there are people who look coldly upon a peace process. This picture is deeply saddening. It reflects a pathological condition that we have still not been able to overcome as a society.”
Gergerlioğlu stated that the unfolding picture also exposes internal tensions within the ruling bloc. He said: “This picture also reveals an internal struggle within the government. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) already have different positions on this issue, and there are serious divergences within both structures. What is truly needed is sincerity. Approaches lacking sincerity are always problematic. This is precisely what society is seeking: sincerity. Otherwise, the attitudes being displayed inevitably remain contradictory and lack credibility.”
Gergerlioğlu also said that in some Islamist circles, religious arguments are being put forward to oppose the recognition of Kurdish rights, with an effort to pit identity against religion. He said: “Yes, a tendency to oppose the recognition of Kurds’ most fundamental rights, identity rights, by invoking religious arguments is particularly visible in some Islamist circles. The desire to set identity against religion is an extremely problematic approach. It is a serious mistake that has been repeated for years.
Trying to present the situation as if a great ‘jihad victory’ has been achieved is extremely dangerous. Portraying Kurds as enemies of Islam or as anti-religious is both unjust and destructive. Are those who do this truly aware of what they are doing? Do they see that the greatest harm inflicted on religion itself comes precisely through these approaches?
Nationalism and fanaticism have created such a blinding effect that they are no longer even aware of what they are doing or of how deeply they are damaging fundamental human values.”
Opposition to the SDF seeks to create a divide between Arab and Kurdish peoples
Gergerlioğlu said opposition in Turkey to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is attempting to create a division between Arab and Kurdish peoples. He concluded his remarks as follows: “Yes, it is clear that opposition to the SDF is deliberately trying to create a divide between Arabs and Kurds. It gives the impression that the Turkish government is conducting certain intelligence activities targeting Arabs in the region and is attempting to form various fronts along these lines.
Yet no one can reach anywhere by turning identities against one another and driving peoples apart. This approach ultimately causes serious harm to the region’s social peace. It is impossible for anyone to gain from this.
Seeking to prevent Kurds from maintaining a presence in the region is an extremely flawed, short-term way of thinking. Policies produced through such short-term calculations lead to nothing other than damage to the region’s social peace in the long run.”