Erdogan Does Not Want to Stop the Kurdish Massacre

• 08.05.2015, 22:32
•  Near East,  World

Turkey is still involved in the chaotic situation. Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish rebel targets in southeastern Turkey, in its turn, PKK continues attacks on Turkish security forces. Turkish F-16 jets carried out a 35-minute assault on Kurdistan Workers' Party targets near the border with Iraq, Reuters reports. PKK responded with the killing of three soldiers.

At least 19 Turkish security forces have been killed by PKK since July 20. The number of Kurdish rebels killed as a result of Turkish airstrikes is more than 260.

On Tuesday the European Union and the US urged Turkey to show restraint in its intensive air bombardment against Kurdish rebels, The Voice of America says. At the same time they stressed that Ankara had a right to defend itself against attacks staged by PKK. But the EU's enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, said the Turkish response "must be proportionate, targeted and by no means endanger the democratic political dialog." The U.S. State Department called on the PKK to "renounce violence and re-engage in talks" with Turkey.

Two of Turkey’s opposition parties - Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), also called on PKK to end its attacks, Hurriyet reports. Terrorism can never be acceptable, CHP deputy parliamentary leader said. "No peace can be demanded with weapons in hand, he stressed." The PKK should immediately drop weapons and adopt the language of peace. And the state should do its part."

In his turn Kurdish party blamed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) for causing tension in the country in the name of becoming a single-party government again. "Both sides should remove their hands from the triggers of their weapons. The operations should cease and the PKK should end its attacks," HDP said.

At the same time HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas said PKK has received its message for a ceasefire, citing a European-based PKK senior figure as saying the PKK were ready to sit down for negotiations if the dialogue was restarted.

But it is not realistic at all to expect the negotiations to resume in the visible future. It is already clear that Turkey is using the idea of fighting against Islamic State as a pretext and started a real campaign against Kurds in the region. This means Erdogan will not end his attacks on Kurds as long as his long term goals are not met.