BDP urges government to avoid ‘irreparable situations’

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

‘Turkey should manage this crisis within diplomacy and international law,’ Gülten Kışanak tells BDP lawmakers. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-chair Gültan Kışanak has called on the government to use all of its rights derived from international law regarding Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet, while also warning against taking steps that would cause “irreparable situations.”

“Turkey should manage this crisis within diplomacy and international law. We are relieved by statements in this direction. Turkey should protect its rights without taking tasks on behalf of anybody,” Kışanak said.

Speaking at her party’s parliamentary group meeting, Kışanak recalled recent reports that Turkey was making efforts to include Syrian Kurds in the Syrian armed opposition and urged the government to give up such efforts. “This is a very risky and problematic move. Turkey should defend democracy in the Middle East, but including Kurds in the armed opposition is unacceptable. If you are advocating democracy in Syria, then express your view on the autonomy demands of [Syrian] Kurds,” Kışanak said.

In further comments, Kışanak criticized the government for the latest police operation against the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK), in which 71 union members, including chairman Lami Özgen, were detained on charges of membership in the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).

Kışanak played down the operation as “political operations backed by the government to crush the opposition,” and said all 71 union members were Kurdish. “These operations are racist and discriminative. There’s no other explanation for this. This is an indicator of the government’s hostility to the Kurds,” she said, adding that “a government that cannot solve its internal problems is incapable of solving external problems.” 

“You put Kurds behind bars in your country, and then you declare yourself protector of Kurds in Syria. Kurds are not so naive as to believe in these words,” Kışanak said.