“Peace Blocks,” the defense organizations against Turkey’s barbaric assaults are standing up in all corners of the country. After falling from the government, the Justice and Development Party (JDP – AKP) started a civil war against the Kurds to raise nationalism and racism. The powers in the JDP are hoping to escalate racism and nationalist […]
“Peace Blocks,” the defense organizations against Turkey’s barbaric assaults are standing up in all corners of the country.
After falling from the government, the Justice and Development Party (JDP – AKP) started a civil war against the Kurds to raise nationalism and racism. The powers in the JDP are hoping to escalate racism and nationalist attacks to a level where they could gather enough hatred against the Kurdish minority in Turkey to declare the Kurdish electoral party HDP illegal and eliminate it from early elections due in October.
To counter the official state terror against the citizens of Turkey, Turkish and Kurdish people everywhere are organizing “Peace Blocks” as defensive units.
In the last month, with government and state encouragement fascist mobs have started attacking the offices of HDP, the pro-Kurdish party where 128 offices were destroyed or the whole buildings torched only in one day.
Mobs, protected and aided by the military and the Turkish police are roaming neighborhoods looking for people “with dark complexions,” who they assume are Kurds and attempt to lynch them. Many were beaten up and forced to kiss the Turkish flag or to climb up on a statue of the Turkish leader Kemal Ataturk and publicly kiss the statue as a punishment for being a Kurd.
To protect against these fascist attacks as well as objecting to official war cries, Peace Blocks were organized in many parts of the country.
While a military encirclement and assault is under way against the people of Cizre, a Kurdish town in Turkey, Peace Blocks have raised their voices, exposing the real face of Turkish nationalism and racism.
In Malatya, gathering at the Association of Newspaper and TV Journalists offices, Peace Block activists read their statement and declared, “Today is not the day to keep your silence. Actually, today is just the day when you should raise your voice more loudly. Today is the day to prevent the fascists, today is the day to fight against fascism shoulder to shoulder!”
In Antalya, the Peace Block organizers met at the Teacher’s Union hall and gave a press release in which the racist attacks were condemned. “The racist attacks that actually originated prior to the June 7 elections and organized by the government is escalating by the day. Tens of people were targeted for lynching for the sole reason of being a Kurd. The daily Hurriyet newspaper also was attacked twice in 48 hours by these puppet fascist militias. All progressive and left parties, including the pro-Kurdish and progressive HDP have been attacked with 128 offices of the HDP looted and destroyed. In Many places the progressive association “Peoples’ Houses” were attacked by the fascist mob under the protection of the police, as well as the leading opposition social democratic party Peoples’ Republican Party (PRP – CHP) offices. The so-called law enforcement offices have just sat watching silently as if to protect the mob.”
Peace Block organization from other parts of the country are also meeting to join forces to prevent the fascist attacks and to stand in solidarity with the Kurdish and Alevi minorities in Turkey.
Sendika.org news – Mehmet Bayram
