GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

Forces personnel and heavy weapons, alongside jihadist rebels who are now

terrorizing and looting the town in the face of international law.

To recap, Turkey’s inhumane isolation upon Mr Ocalan and reckless approach

to the HDP under Erdogan’s direction leads one to ask why such militant

antagonism towards the Kurds resurfaced just at the time when Turkey was on

the verge of achieving a lasting peace with the Kurds led by Mr Ocalan. In my

opinion, it constitutes Erdogan’s personal retaliation against, and punishment

of, Mr Ocalan and the HDP, including the Kurds in general for opposing his

dream of absolute power. Through Erdogan’s instruction, Mr Ocalan has been

isolated in Imrali for years illegally as it is against Turkish constitution and the

HDP has been criminalised and disabled from partaking in politics. In other

words, whilst Mr Ocalan was not even allowed to meet his lawyers and family

members, HDP MPs legislative immunity was lifted, HDP Co-Chair and

Presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP Co-Chair Figen

Yüksekdağ were arrested.

Being a constituent of HDP, 94 out of 105 municipalities were removed from

their posts, most being imprisoned and sent state trustees to replace them,

ensuring that Kurds are not even represented on their local authorities. Still

there are more than 60 co-mayors imprisoned. By June 2016 Turkey had a

speculative coup attempt, AKP and nationalist/militarist coalition under the

guise of a fight against terrorism or coup for the purpose of re-establishing their power in Turkish politics and a State of Emergency was declared on 20 th July

2016. As a result of the State of Emergency, 125,600 public officials were

dismissed. Civil institutions and organisations, schools and unions were shut

down and confiscated, which 50,000 people lost their jobs. As Erdoğan said,

this was a pleasure of God as this caused a systematic wipe of all measures

from opposite journalists, politicians, academics and NGOs. 150 newspapers,

magazines, radio, television and news agencies have been shut down since

July 2016. Hundreds of websites have been blocked. All private television

channels broadcasting in Kurdish were such down. Essentially, the opposite

media disappeared and only mainstream media is left which is totally under the

control of the Turkish State or Erdoğan’s AKP. 184 journalists were arrested

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