Political assaults against Kurds and their allies

Having not yet broken the resistance, the AKP and the Turkish state continue their genocidal operations against the Kurdish people and their allies. At least 15 people have been arrested in Amed (Diyarbakır), Muş, and İzmir. One man was arrested in Denizli for aiding a wounded activist.

Amed

Home raids were conducted in Amed's Lice district earlier this morning. HDP representative Osman Ağın and an individual named Hulki Akman were arrested during these raids. It has been learned that both Ağın and Akman were taken to police headquarters and will be transferred to provincial headquarters.

Amed Metropolitan Vice Secretary, General Hüseyin Bayrak was also detained during a home raid in the district of Kaypınar. Bayrak was also taken to provincial headquarters. There are currently reports that the number of raids will increase.

The former mayor of Batman was arrested by the police in Silvan after attending a court hearing in Amed. Kalkan was arrested before during the "KCK Operation" in 2009 and served a long prison sentence.

Muş

DBP Muş General Assembly membesr Alparslan Kardan and Halil Görcü were arrested yesterday evening in the Malazgirit distrcit of Muş. They were taken to police headquarters nearby.

Denizli 

A student at Pamukkale University, Mervan Çaçan was arrested and taken to court following a warrant released for his detainment. The court issued a warrant for helping wounded activists in Nusaybin.

İzmir

Several homes were raided during the early morning hours in İzmir's Konak, Karışyaka, Menemen and Bayraklı distrcits. Members of the United Revolutionary Party Nurhak Sabur, Yakup İşkar, Mustafa Kanar, Sadık Güney Akbaş, Roni Gören, Alper Yanar, Hazal Dallar, Mert Peköz, and İnan Sever were all arrested during these raids.

Those activists arrested were taken to the police headquarters of İzmir.


http://anfturkce.net/guncel/kurtlere-ve-dostlarina-siyasi-soykirim-operasyonlari

ISIS is not allowing any escape for the citizens of Raqqa

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have progressed further into the norther part of Raqqa causing panic among many ISIS gangs fleeing the city. The gangs that are remaining on the other side of the city are not allowing citizens to escape.

For the past three days, the SDF have been continuing operations purging Raqqa of ISIS gangs. The SDF has made public that its assaults have all gone according to plan thus far.

In line with information provided by a statement from the SDF, many families escaping together from ISIS control in the city center have relocated to a hamlet just south of Raqqa.

According to information transmitted from the area, SDF efforts are inflicting heavy blows against ISIS gangs which are using citizens as shields attempting to escape the city.

http://anfturkce.net/guncel/dais-rakkalilarin-kenti-terk-etmesine-izin-vermiyor

US announces its support for the Syrian Democratic Forces in their operation against Raqqa

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has announced in a written statement that it will continue to support the Syrian Democratic Forces with their operation in Raqqa.

The statement from CENTCOM noted that "we will continue to support covert operations conducted by the Syrian Democratic Forces against Raqqa, as we have in the past."

US State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner, was also present at a daily press conference evaluating the operations in Raqqa.

Stating that they will cooperate in an agreement for the implementation of the cessation of hostilities in Syria Toner said that "we will continue to support the Syrian Democratic Forces in their recovery of the city of Raqqa from ISIS."

"We have two priorities in Syria. First, the elimination of ISIS. We have established a coalition under the leadership of 66 countries for this purpose. We support the Syrian Democratic Forces against ISIS in this endeavor, as we support the Iraqi military for the same purposes."

"Our other priority is the ongoing civil war in Syria. We believe that it will take a political solution and we are working to implement an agreement with all countries involved in the conflict, including Russia."

http://www.imctv.com.tr/abd-rakka-operasyonunda-demokratik-suriye-guclerini-destekleyecegiz/

Hêlin Öncü finally taken to hospital after ECHR decision

During the early morning hours, the unarmed 20 year old Kurdish university student Hêlin Öncü was shot and wounded by Turkish military and security forces during a martial law that has been enforced for the last 34 days. Three other local Kurdish women have gone missing in the attempts to locate her. Security forces blocked off the neighborhood of Cudi, preventing anyone, including the wounded Öncü, from coming in our out.

As news spread an association of lawyers sent an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in order to force the Turkish government to allow the wounded Öncü passage to a local hospital in order to be treated.

A lawyer with the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), Ramazan Demir made the appeal to the ECHR.

The appeal was granted today, the same day, and permission given to Öncü who was waiting with her life to be treated. She was finally sent to the Cizre State Hospital where she remains in critical condition.

http://www.imctv.com.tr/aihm-cizrede-yaralanan-helin-oncu-icin-tedbir-karari-aldi/

http://anfturkce.net/guncel/cizre-de-yaralanan-helin-oncu-sirnak-a-getirildi

Assassination attempt on the life of Selahattin Dermitaş

HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was targeted by an assassination attempt while travelling in his official car in the town of Amed in southeastern Turkey.

Speaking to Fırat News Agency, Demirtaş reported a bullet hole on the rear window of his bulletproof car. HDP co-chair said that a graze on his neck from the bullet, or shards of glass, was noticed by his guards after exiting the car, while no one heard a gunshot.

Demirtaş said his official car has been taken to the forensics lab of the police department for analysis, adding that no bullet was found.

http://anfturkce.net/guncel/hdp-esbaskani-demirtas-a-suikast-girisimi

Cemil Bayık: Turkey's policy in Northern Syria and Iraq is 'dangerous for the whole world'

The KCK Executive Council Co-President Cemil Bayık stated that the AKP government blackmails the whole world by legitimizing and promoting ISIS.

Calling the world's attention to the successful battle of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) led by People's and Women's Protection Units (YPG/YPJ) against Daesh, Bayık emphasised that, "the SDF is capable of pushing Daesh forces out of Jarablus within a short period time. They can take Raqqa as well if Turkey were not siding with Daesh. International powers should remove this obstacle of Turkey.”

Bayık made significant evaluations in his column on Azadiya Welat and Yeni Özgür Politika dailies, in which he wrote about eliminating Turkey's barrier in the fight against ISIS, a pro-ISIS mindset has been growing in Turkish society and the Turkish state's military and political attacks against the people of Kurdistan.

Bayık wrote the following statement under the title 'AKP blackmails the world.'

"Just like what happened during the Turkish national team's previous soccer match in Konya, another national soccer game in Istanbul has witnessed a protest of massacred people. Victims of the Paris attacks were booed and the minute of silence was turned into a public expression of respect for the suicide bombers. This is what's become of Turkey today. These cases have clearly manifested an identity of the mindsets between the AKP and Daesh.

The AKP has turned Turkey into a country where massacre is celebrated

Has anyone ever seen a community that celebrates the death of civilians so much? The AKP government has turned Turkey into a country where the massacre of civilians is welcomed with joy. Nothing could be so terrifying as leading a society to a point like this. The praise of murderers and protest of victims in Konya and Istanbul did not happen for no reason. This is a situation created by the AKP government. Aside from the political and financial support, Daesh also receives a great amount of moral support from Turkey. From this point of view, it's delusional to assume that Turkey will fight against Daesh. Those from the same mindset do not fight each other, but only strengthen each other.

Turkey's policies are dangerous for the whole world

The massacre in Paris has proven that Turkey pursues a policy danger for the whole world, in addition to the Kurds and the Middle East. Just like the Ankara massacre which was perpetrated in collaboration with AKP, the Paris massacre was also a consequence of the policies pursued by Turkey. Whoever ignores this truth cannot wage a straight fight against Daesh. It is not possible to get rid of Daesh without eliminating AKP policies. Daesh suffers heavy military blows one after another in the hands of the Kurdish people's freedom forces, but it survives because of policies of the AKP government which blackmails the whole world in an unprecedented manner as a political power.

The AKP legitimizes and promotes Daesh

Erdoğan and the AKP always argue that "terror cannot have a religion or identity." Of course, it would be wrong to compare Daesh with Islam. Even, Daesh is the anti-Islam that defames the religion and is an enemy to it. This is true. Yet, there is another reality that Daesh emerged from inside the Islamic community and geography. This has social and historical factors as well, but it is politically important to see the factors that nurtured and strengthened Daesh. It is a wrong approach to treat the problem on the basis of historical and cultural factors alone. Such an approach would mean legitimizing Daesh's inhumanity which is an enemy to humankind. This is what is done by the pro-AKP media which not only legitimizes but also promotes Daesh.

Political support is the very first point that needs to be eliminated in order to force Daesh to draw back. Otherwise, social and cultural measures might be taken as a result. In this regard, it is totally necessary that Turkey ends its support for Daesh, which consequently requires taking a stance against the policies of the AKP. Unless Turkey takes an anti-Daesh stance, it will be impossible for the rest of the world to fight it.

In the fight against Daesh, it is of primary importance to fight on the ground. Viewed from that point, the anti-Daesh battle of YPG/YPJ and the SDF is a dignified one. If ISIS is to be defeated, it is these internationally popular forces that will do it. Otherwise, it will not be possible to accomplish a lasting result in an event where external military forces take over the battlefield.

Daesh is in a process of defeat

ISIS has entered a process of defeat, as long as no wrong policy is pursued in this regard. The SDF and YPG/YPG forces have the capability to defeat Daesh. They can push Daesh out of Jarablus within a short time, as well as in Raqqa unless Turkey continues to support the other side.

Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, Armenians, youths, women, and other communities across Syria can easily clear their territory of Daesh and Al-Nusra. Once the obstacle of Turkey is eliminated, it will mean Daesh has come to an end. This reality needs to be known by the whole world. If international powers want to defeat Daesh, they should first stop Turkey from being an obstacle in this struggle.

Turkey wants the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP-Iraq) to confront the PKK

Turkey is constantly pursuing the defeat of forces fighting Daesh. It wants to make the KDP confront PKK now. This is why Feridun Sinirlioğlu (Turkish Foreign Minister) was quickly sent to Erbil soon after the November elections.

Turkey wants the KDP and PKK to engage in conflict with each other in Sinjar, intending to create such a conflict over Rojava as well. In this way, it is planning to weaken the forces fighting Daesh and thus strengthen its own position. In light of these facts, that HPG/YJA Star and YPG/YPJ are putting up the most effective fight against Daesh, and now Turkey wants to make KDP a wedge between these Kurdish forces.

The states subjecting Kurds to cultural genocide and exploitation have always created these types of conflicts and divisions among the Kurdish people. However, Kurds have become self-aware and have learned their history very well these days. This is why these traps of the Turkish state will be defeated this time."

http://anfturkce.net/kurdistan/bayik-turkiye-engel-olmasa-isid-kisa-surede-cerablus-tan-atilabilir

Who profits from the migrant crisis? Fear.

The slogan for numerous electoral or political campaigns in Europe might be “Immigration and the whipping up of fears around it, that will nail some votes.” And so these recent electoral victories form part of the development of an instrumental propaganda of fear. 

https://www.npa2009.org/actualite/international/europe-qui-profite-la-crise-des-migrants-au-pire

By Bertold du Ryon

Translation by Tom Gagné

It can be seen in Poland on Sunday two weeks ago, where the nationalist party of the conservative and sovereigntist right PIS (Law and Justice Party) has won parliamentary elections. Coming in at about 38% of the vote, the party will rule with its future Prime Minister Beate Szydlo.

A hateful madness

Aside from some skepticism around “Europe”, the PIS has focused specifically on the fear of migrants during its last electoral campaign. Even though the European Commission has attempted to limit the number of migrants entering Poland with its current distribution plan of 160,000 refugees among the 28 EU countries, PIS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has not hesitated in presenting migrants and refugees as disease carriers and a “health risk.”

Accusing the outgoing government, supported by the liberal party Civic Platform (PO), of having secretly promised Brussels to accept “100,000 Muslims”—an outright lie—Kaczynski predicted that Poland would see “the destruction of its churches, the introduction of sharia law, and the obligation to adopt Islam and terrorism.” The line between political agitation and delirious hate has been crossed. He added to these alleged threats against the good blonde people that “cholera has been raging on the Greek Islands” along with “dysentery in Vienna.” So far, any mention of the plague has been missing in this repertoire of the party leader who will now (again) be directing Poland.

In another setting and different economic situation, but with the same patterns of rhetoric, the Swiss People’s Party (SV)—misnamed in French as the Democratic Union of the Center—was the main winner of the Swiss parliamentary elections earlier in October. Now with 29.5% of the vote between both sides of the French and German borders, the right and the far right saw its best results since 2007 when they achieved 28.9% of the vote. “The theme dominating this campaign is really unfortunate; people were guided by fear,” commented Socialist candidate, Rebecca Ruiz, in reference to the debate on refugees.

Polarization in the streets

Among other German speaking countries, both Germany and Austria are contributing to an unquestionable polarization. Even if the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) totaled 30.8% at the ballot in regional elections on October 11 in the Austrian capital, its victory was nevertheless refuted with social democracy gaining the majority at 39.6%. The FPÖ took less than their projected outcome of 35%. This is related to an active awakening from the parts of society that refuse to totally mire themselves in racism. And so 60,000 people took to the streets in solidarity with migrants on October 3 in Vienna.

In Germany, polarization occurs most especially in the streets. Behind racist slogans, almost 20,000 people demonstrated on October 20 in Dresden for the first anniversary of the launch of Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamification of the Occident), and even 10,000 demonstrators on October 27. On the other side of the street, thousands of participants took part in a counter demonstration of the first event and 1,300 during the second one.

Having more popularity in the former East Germany and especially in Saxony, the anti-immigration movement has still struggled to gain a foothold in the major cities of West Germany. On Octboer 25, an event called for by the “Hooligans Against Salafism” (Hogesa) and supported by Pegida and the extremist right party Pro-NRW (Popular Movement for North Rhine-Westphalia) gathered together 1,000 demonstrators with 10,000 counter-demonstrators. There were 24 people injured, including 12 police officers. It was exactly a year ago that the “anti-Islamification” movement Hogesa managed to bring a surprising number of 4,500 people. The police and the 800 counter-demonstrators were totally overwhelmed. Hogesa didn’t know how to stabilize a movement for the long haul, while its opponents were much better prepared this year.