The Kurdish Region Since The
Coup Attempt
The July 15th coup attempt was a nightmare. Kurds remember
the terrible army coups in Turkey. After the army coups, Kurdish people were
imprisoned, sustained, killed and tortured. Kurds are against army coups. The night of 15 July 2016, the pro-Kurdish party, HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party)
immediately condemned the coup attempt.
Kurds thought that after the coup attempt, there may
be a return to the peace process.
The reasons that support this thought are:
The Kurdish movement has not had any links with the
Gulenist movement. The Gulenist movement is a nationalist, Islamic, pan-Turkish
movement. In his speeches, Fethullah Gulen, head of the Gulen movement, has
stated on multiple occasions his hate of Kurdish people and he is against peace
with the Kurdish people. Kurds have urged the government multiple times that
the Gulen movement could sabotage the peace process.
Today, we know that the PKK did not launch the war.
Today we know that the PKK is not responsible for the killing of 2 policemen in
Ceylanpınar (this event has been linked to the breakdown of the 2 year long
peace process). The HDP presented a parliamentary bill to investigate these
killings. The bill was voted down by the AKP (Justice and Development Party)
and MHP (Nationalist Movement Party). After the coup attempt, the judges and
prosecutors of this event have been arrested for supporting the Gulenist
movement.
Unfortunately, after the coup attempt, the government
did not use their chance to return to the peace process.
After the coup attempt on July 15th, everything has
gotten worse. Just 5 days after the coup attempt, on July 20th, State
of Emergency (OHAL) was declared. It still continues. The county is governed by
decrees with the force of law (KHK). Government has used the July 15th
coup attempt and the Emergency Rule to stifle all opposition.
Let’s give just a few numbers to understand the size
of this “witch hunt” in Turkey: