The following statement was agreed by all the organisations in the RiseUp4Rojava platform in response to the Turkish state’s seizure of the three largest Kurdish municipalities on Monday, arresting the mayors and co-mayors along with hundreds of activists. It is important to note the highly gendered nature of this violent coup, with the mostly male mayors labelled stooges to the mostly female co-mayors, themselves labelled terrorists. Since Monday resistance has been fierce and ongoing, and at this time all the organisations in the platform, including Plan C and the Kurdistan Solidarity Network in the UK, declare their deep, practical solidarity without limits to democratic and revolutionary forces in Turkey and northern Kurdistan. We are friends and comrades in the same struggle, and stand ready to rise up against Turkish state fascism to defend the Kurdish Freedom Movement along with all democratic and revolutionary forces in Turkey – join us for days of action at the DSEI arms fair on the 6th and 7th of September to do just that.
On Monday, August 19, in the Kurdish cities of Amed (Turkish Diyarbakir), Mêrdîn (Mardin) and Wan (Van), the HDP mayors were deposed on the instructions of the Turkish Ministry of the Interior and replaced by forced administrators loyal to the regime. The town halls were surrounded and over 400 activists arrested. The attack against the Democratic Peoples’ Party (HDP) must be seen as a political coup. “The government no longer has any democratic legitimacy”, explained the HDP in a statement, “The population will not accept this action and will stand behind their elected representatives and the HDP.
To answer this call the people in Northern Kurdistan and everywhere in Turkey stood up. They have not accepted the coup and are now carrying out continuous acts of resistance. Not only in the affected Kurdish areas, but also in the Turkish metropolises determined protests have taken place. There are daily protests throughout Europe. Straight away on Monday there were spontaneous demonstrations in numerous European cities.
The attack on the HDP shows how weak the fascist regime in Turkey has become. They try to silence every critical voice immediately. They cannot allow criticism. There must be no alternative. Because that would mean their downfall. But we know the truth: the resistance in Kurdistan will very soon be Erdogan’s grave!
The war against the Kurdish guerilla in Turkey and in Iraq, as well as the threats against Rojava, are a tactic to distract from the miserable conditions within Turkey. Whether against Rojava, the parliamentary opposition or the guerrillas in the mountains, more violence, more war, more threats are the only answer of the weakening AKP regime to the growing strength of anti-fascist forces in Turkey, Kurdistan and the whole Middle East!
However, they have only awakened the will of the women, the oppressed peoples, the workers, the young and the old to the resistance! More and more young people join the Kurdish freedom movement! More and more people are determined to end Erdogan’s regime.
As a platform of 41 democratic and revolutionary organisations from 12 countries we stand behind the anti-fascist forces in Turkey! Each anti-fascist fight within Turkey, weakens also their power outwardly. Each new weakness deprives the fascist Turkish state piece by piece of the leeway for genocidal wars. The fight must be fought on all fronts! In Turkey itself and in the countries and metropolises of Turkey’s European brothers-in-arms! We condemn all associations, governments and alliances which support the fascist Turkish state.
We call for this: Let us smash Turkish fascism. For a democratic Turkey, peace in Kurdistan and a secure future for the revolution in Rojava!
Turkish fascism is our common enemy along with all other forms, our unity is internationalist anti-fascism! Fight fascism in every country!
International Campaign
#Riseup4Rojava – smash Turkish fascism!
https://riseup4rojava.org/
https://twitter.com/RISEUP4R0JAVA
