The Turkish government has once again started to arrest Kurdish mayors

The AKP has not accepted the election results of the 7th of June, 2015, and, as of the 24th of July, has declared war on the Kurds – those he holds responsible for the election defeat he suffered.

After the elections the AKP has had thousands of Kurdish politicians arrested and is now having elected Kurdish mayors arrested. In the past month, thousands of people have been arrested; in over a hundred Kurdish towns a state of emergency has been declared; tens of civilians have been killed; The army has set forests alight; 4 villages have been torched and many villages have been bombed; snipers have been placed on high buildings from where civilians are being shot at.

And now, elected Kurdish mayors Dilek Hatipoglu and Nurullah Ciftci (Co-mayors of Hakkari), the Co-mayors of Diyarbakir’s Sur municipality Seyid Narin and Fatma Sik and Co-mayors of Silvan municipality Yüksel Bodakçı and Melikşah Teke have been arrested. The aim here is to get the Kurdish people to submit to their power or kill them,

In response to the arrest of the Co-mayors, the Co-mayor of Diyarbakir Firat Anli said: “If there is a social consensus or a societal agreement that creates the state, then this state is outside of that agreement and is a fundamental organ and mechanism that is violating this agreement. If a people is unable to voice their demands and unable to struggle for their rights then the state has lost its legitimacy. If a state is trying to preserve itself through violence and suppression then that state is no longer run by the rule of law”.

We call upon everyone to stand up against the war declared by the Turkish state, its military, its police and its special forces.

This war that has been declared by the AKP against the Kurdish people is not only causing heavy loss of life, but is also completely closing the door for a continuation of the peace process. Also, this war is weakening the Kurds who have been successfully battling ISIS and is boosting the morale of and strengthening ISIS.

ISIS is the enemy of all of humanity, but the AKP is actively supporting them with these attacks.

We call upon the EU, UN and the USA to stand up against the dirty plans of Turkey.

We call upon the international media to go to Kurdistan to report on the war on location.

 

Kurdistan National Congress – KNK