PKK Executive Committee member Mustafa Karasu wrote an article for Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper about the Turkish state’s invasion operation against Afrin Canton of Northern Syria, which was translated by ANF English service below.

After months of propaganda by AKP-MHP government the invasion operation against Afrin has started. These attacks constitute a new practice of the hostile policy of AKP-MHP towards Kurds. AKP-MHP fascism sees any place on earth where Kurds organize to a certain level or live, as a target for themselves.

Afrin is a city bordering Turkey and Kurdish people have a organized free and democratic life in the city. The existence of such a city on the border is a threat to AKP-MHP fascist government’s policy of genocide. This is the way Afrin poses a threat. Because with its democratic character Afrin exposes the fascist character of AKP-MHP government. This is the first reason for Turkey’s attack on Afrin.  

Tayyip Erdogan made ISIS attack Kobane in 2014. They wanted to strangle Kobane and the Rojava Revolution with the hands of ISIS. Yesterday they tried to strangle the oases of freedom and democracy with the hands of ISIS and today they want to do it themselves. “Kurdish corridor”, “terror corridor” terms are only covers to hostility towards Kurds.

When ISIS was present along Turkey’s border with Syria, Turkish government didn’t see those as terrorists or a threat. On the contrary they supported ISIS. They were never bothered with ISIS. They wanted to feed and raise ISIS so they can be used to blackmail the world. But their plans were foiled after the Revolutionaries of Rojava and Syrian Democratic Forces defeated the ISIS.

But now we understand that Turkey is marketing the gangs that it fed and supported in west of Euphrates and around Aleppo to Syrian regime and Russia. Turkey entered Jarablus and al-Bab in return for the gangs in Aleppo. Now it’s invading Afrin in return for the gangs in Idlib.

It’s depreciatory and a shame that Russia and Syrian regime engage in such a dirty negotiation. Instead of bringing the AKP government to account for all the destruction it has caused in Syria by feeding these gangs, they are rewarding it. Bashar Assad and Russia give Tayyip Erdogan the ultimate price. They are taking him to power once again. While an enemy like Erdogan is rewarded, Afrin, that resisted against the gangs, is presented to the enemy.

The Assad regime and Russia should know that, if Kurds hadn’t resisted against the gangs in Aleppo, Aleppo would have fallen, let alone the other parts of the country. The gates of Damascus and Latakia would have opened as well. The most strategic neighbourhood of Aleppo was controlled by the Kurds. If the gangs had broken the Kurdish resistance, the government forces would have never been able to resist. As a matter of fact, the government forces take courage from the Kurdish resistance. The Kurdish population in Aleppo are mostly immigrants from Afrin. Now by opening the airspace to Turkey, Russia and the regime are executing hostility against the people of Afrin.

Russia and the Syrian regime organized a plot against the people of Afrin. Only a short while ago Russia said that it would not allow an attack on Afrin. There were Russian soldiers in Afrin. But engaging in a dirty bargain over the people of Afrin will go into the history as one of the most disgraceful relationships between states.

Of course, there will be good relationships or hostility in politics. But what Russia and Syria did cannot be described with these terms. When you act hostile against someone, you should have reasons to do so. The AKP-MHP government is hostile against Kurds and it tries to remain in power. But what reason does Russia have to act hostile against the Kurds. If the proud Russian people, who have a revolution in their history, knew about this they faces would go red. No one has the right to put this burden on a (Russian) nation which supported freedom movements and made a revolution.

Russia and the regime will be responsible for every person killed in Afrin. The whole world saw that Turkish chief of staff Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan, the undersecretary of Turkish intelligence, went to Russia to get permission to use Syrian airspace. The Syrian airspace was opened to Turkey’s warplanes after Russian officials met with Hakan Fidan and Hulusi Akar.

How will Kurds look at Russia and Assad regime after all of these? Russia and Assad regime shot themselves in the foot. Those who see themselves as Syria’s legitimate regime and who want to meet with Kurds to solve the crisis in the country, opened the airspace to AKP-MHP fascism that is the enemy of not only Kurdish people but also of all peoples in Syria. Now how will Assad regime say “come and we will solve our problems among us”.  When Kurds are showing the attitude of solving the problems with the regime their manner means burning the bridges down with Kurdish people. Can a politician in his right mind take a step that will confront the Kurds? This is petty politics. It seems they wanted to manage the Kurds through the threat of Turkey. This kind of attitude will only create hostility with the Kurds. If they think they will discipline Kurds by selling Afrin out, they will face an opposite result. 

The US policy is aiming to make Kurds dependant on itself by different methods which are more complicated. Instead of developing relationship with Kurds by seeing them as a proud nation, it developing political tricks by using Kurds will not be accepted. Tens of thousands of Kurds were martyred during the freedom struggle. Kurdish people are resisting against powers with genocide tendencies for more than a hundred years. And there is a continuous resistance for the past forty years. As Kurds give their own freedom struggle, they are also doing this for the entire Middle East and humanity. Five thousand Kurds were martyred during the struggle against ISIS in Northern Syria, Shengal and other provinces. Kurdish people saved the Middle East from ISIS menace.

US is the biggest member of the international coalition against ISIS but its remarks “Afrin is not an operation area of the international coalition” and it encouraging Turkey to enter Afrin lacks morality. The people of Afrin resisted against ISIS and Al Nusra. If ISIS and Al Nusra didn’t capture all of Syria that’s owing to the resistance of the people of Afrin.

There may be different reasons behind US’ statement that declared Afrin “non-operational area against ISIS” and its encouragement of Turkey to invade the region. Maybe they wanted to put Kurds and Russia against each other and want to benefit from it. “The big countries have so many plots” as Chinese say.

The main reason behind Afrin attack is the hostility against Kurdish people. By paving the way for invasion of Afrin, Russia, Syrian regime and the US became partners with AKP-MHP fascism. They are now in a position that supports hostility towards Kurds.

The second reason behind invading Afrin for AKP-MHP fascism is that they try to keep their ruling standing. AKP-MHP fascism fears losing the power in Turkey. For Tayyip Erdogan, the only way to protect his seat is entering a war which will increase chauvinism and try to get more support from the society. There is no way for Erdogan to continue to rule the country. Supporting invasion of Afrin means supporting Erdogan’s rule for another decade. It means support for a religious and nationalist state and social structure. 

Those who support AKP-MHP’s invasion of Afrin, have paved the way for Erdogan to remain in power. The opening of Syrian airspace by Russia and the regime is the step to hold Tayyip Erdogan at the office. We understand that Assad and Erdogan will become brothers again. Erdogan who insulted Russia after the downing of warplane, thinking that he will get support from the US and the EU, will be in each other’s arms from now on.

The EU and the US have the attitude of making Erdogan a trouble to Turkey’s peoples again while they saw him as a fascist figure until recently. Now we understand that the statements by different circles which said that Erdogan is fascist, a dictator are not serious. They are pleased with the AKP government. The US and EU officials remarks “we understand Turkey’s concerns” show that they are in dirty relations with this fascist chef and government. Instead of understanding the concerns of peoples of Turkey and Kurdish people, understanding Erdogan’s concerns is hypocrisy. They choose Erdogan.

We need to emphasize this once again: if Tayyip Erdogan and AKP-MHP government are to cause trouble for humanity, those who have stood with them will be responsible. The policies of the US and the EU especially encourage Tayyip Erdogan and AKP-MHP fascist government. That’s why they can insult those powers even when they feel like doing so. Because Erdogan knows that they will swallow those insults because of their opportunistic capitalist view.

It’s exemplary that those who call themselves “Kurd”, “democrat” or “anti-Erdogan” in Turkey can’t manifest a clear stance against the invasion of Afrin. No one is against the AKP-MHP fascism if they are not against the invasion of Afrin. The first thing for those who are against the AKP-MHP fascism should be to stand against the invasion of Afrin, the main purpose of which is to remain in power. It’s even more important than hostility against Kurds. The invasion of Afrin is a step for Tayyip Erdogan to make his ruling survive.

Neither the people of Turkey nor Turkey itself has interests in the invasion of Afrin. The only interest is keep the AKP-MHP’s government standing. Therefore all democratic powers should stand against the invasion of Afrin and put pressure on the CHP on this matter. Those who support AKP government will deeply regret this. Tayyip Erdogan will use the invasion of Afrin as a milestone to create a religious hegemonic Turkey. The proposed system will destroy every power on its way.

The opposition of those who are supporting the invasion of Afrin are all fake. Without standing against the invasion of Afrin it’s impossible to prevent Tayyip Erdogan’s presidency or establishment of a religious, hegemonic system in Turkey.