The representative of (HDP) party in Washington: America will not leave Syria for reasons other than the Kurds and fighting ISIS
The representative of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Washington: America will not leave Syria for reasons other than the Kurds and fighting ISIS
The representative of the Peoples’ Democratic Party(HDP) Kiran Ozgan, in Washington said that the party’s directions were the reason of Erdogan’s defeat in Istanbul as well as the Kurdish voter power and millions of Armenians and Turks who believe in democracy, had formed an electoral force supported the opposition and won over the Justice and Development Party(AKP)., the representative of the Turkish in Washington said.
“The signs of the weight given by the democratic system and the elections to the Kurds to express their rights, are the Turkish government’s need to lift Abdullah Ocalan’s isolation for the first time since 2011, on the evening of the Supreme Elections Commission announcement of the reelections in Istanbul.”
said The Turkish representative of HDP in Washington.
“We are at a historic stage in which Washington realizes the connection of the Kurds democratic project to its interests in the region.” Said Ozgan, who face a political battle in Washington to persuade the US decision makers to pay attention to the cases of violation of the Kurds rights and freedom.
“‘The Kurds of Turkey, especially the HDP voters, played a significant role in the canceled elections because they did not support Erdogan.” the representative of the Turkish HDP party in Washington said said to North Press about the Kurdish electoral power and how it contributed to the defeat of the Turkish ruling party in Istanbul.
“The Kurds went out to support the HDP’s lines, which was to defeat the tyranny in Turkey, and used the local elections as an opportunity to send a message to the current Turkish authoritarian government, we were able to do that, and the message was sent,” he continued.
“the reaction to the elections results was even more authoritarian by the current government, and they pressure on the institutions of the Supreme Electoral Commission to cancel the elections.” He pointed out.
“in the new elections, the opposing candidate is a victim of injustice of the (AKP), the ruling party in Turkey, eventually, we do not intend to change our approach, now voters have more reasons to defeat this authoritariansm government, to make them understand that this taken direction, which they have been heading for years, is not in the Turkish people’s favor. ” Ozgan cleared.
“Ocalan’s statement was read by his lawyers coincided with the day that the Supreme Electoral Commission announced the cancellation of the Istanbul mayor elections, a lot of people have seen that it as a gesture by the government to attract the Kurdish vote from the (AKP) before.” He said on the regard of linking the lifting of the isolation of Ocalan with the cancellation of the Istanbul elections, and its impact on the choices of the Kurds.
“I do not think that it would work, because the(AKP) government is responsible for a significant crackdown on the Kurds and Kurdish politicians across the whole country, and a significant crackdown on the local councils and the mayor elections happened in the Kurdish region,” he added.
” One visit from Ocalan’s lawyers does not mean the end of isolation, the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan is very important to the Kurdish people, but the Kurds also know that the directions the (AKP) has taken recently deems the government a very untrustworthy entity.” He continued.
“The Kurds are using their voice to convey a message to the ruling party in the country; that heading towards authoritarianism will not be acceptable, and the situation must change, at a time the country becomes more authoritarian, and also, at the time the democratic elections are canceled, people will not be changing, there will be more Kurds, who will vote against the authoritarianism government. ” he added.
In term of the way in which America will take its decisions in the region in the shade of the conflict between the Kurds and Turkey, the representative of the party, “HDP”, thinks, that America finally realized that the solution of the Kurdish cause in ,Turkey, Syria and Iraq, serves the interests of America in the region.
“I see America intervene in the affairs of Syrian and Turkish Kurds to make a kind of rapprochement between Kurdish voices in the region and the Turkish government.” He cleared through his work in Washington, that American Administration and a number of institutions have recognized the real democracy in Turkey would keep Turkey in need to the West and close to it.”
“America wants a kind of presence in the Middle East to control forces like Iran, and to keep this presence, which has proved its success in the northeast of Syria. To do so, it must convince Turkey not to be afraid, and the Kurds not to fear Turkey.” He continued.
On the future of the US presence in Syria, and what had been established so far by the military forces and political commission of the Syrian Democratic Forces, Ozgan pointed out that the Kurds from Day one, since the Syrian conflict, have proven that they can stand on their own two feet, and convinced the whole world that they are one and an efficient military force, but also an efficient spolitical force that can govern the region that it liberated from forces like ISIS.”
“Russia has made a very significant moves into the region, but the US now sees, specifically China, as a global competitor, and right now the Middle East is a very hot battleground and the quest for global hegemony,” he added.
“several actors are competing for influence, it is very important to the US to stay in Syria, outside of ISIS and outside of the Kurds, the US has an independent interests, its own interests , disconnected to the Kurds there and disconnected to the battle against ISIS as well, the US now, the only platform to stay in the region are the Kurds” he pointed out.
“We see that the US has planned for its presence in Syria at least for the medium term, and they are glad on the land that they have a reliable ally whose military forces have proven their professionalism.” he said.
Despite the Kurds’ and the components of Syria Democratic Forces'(QSD) control over a quarter of the territory of Syria, yet, they never talked about the division of Syria, “even in his last letter, Ocalan spoke about the importance of finding a solution within a unified Syrian identity, which does not scare or threaten Syria or any other groups inside it. “He continued.
As for the depth of the representation of “QSD” to the ambitions of the Kurds, Ozgan asserted that the policies and agenda of “QSD” is supported by the majority of the Kurds in Syria.
Pointing out that Ocalan led a Kurdish political movement, dealing with the Kurdish national issue from a perspective claims and believe that the creation of an independent Kurdish state is not separate from granting freedom to the Kurdish people, and that truly can be attained with the emancipation of all the peoples in the region together, so, by democratizing the existing structures, like the Turkey state, Syrian and Iraqi states “Democratizing those existing structure in order to be up to give , not just the Kurds but all the people that live within the state freedom.”
Moreover, he explains that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) had been able to implement a comprehensive vision of democracy for all components of the region, including the Kurds, who are mostly support a vision that present them the freedom with other peoples.
“The hard truth is that establishment an independent Kurdish nation state in that kind of region at this stage, is all about more bloodshed and war, and this is something that the Kurdish people do not want anymore.” He said.
Washington – Hadeel Eweys – NPA