Kurdish leader of the Turkish Peace and Democracy Party, Salahaddin Demirtas, launched a fierce attack on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, warning him not to ignite the powder barrel under him.“The Syrian crisis has been taking place for a year and a half. Erdogan said he would not interfere [in Syria’s affairs]. Even when a Turkish airplane was shot down, he did not interfere. But when Syrian Kurds became involved and their request to establish an autonomous unarmed administration have come to light, he wants to interfere,” criticized Demirtas.
- “Why have you not had the courage to face Syrian President Bashar al-Assad? When you talk about Syrian Kurds, you should be careful not to ignite the powder barrel underneath you and in your own country where 20 million Kurds live. Beware! Because you know well that Kurds are not without a leader to protect them. No power in this world can cast Syrian Kurds out of Syria. Therefore, any interference is deemed as an occupation. The Turkish interference is an occupation. The Kurdistan Labor Party has existed for 30 years and not for 3 days.”
“Erdogan is not concerned about facing the Kurdistan Labor Party or the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party; he simply bears a grudge against Kurds. He adopts a racist policy that leaves Kurds without any freedom whatsoever,” he added. Demirtas also noted that Erdogan planned to interfere in Syria. “Erdogan is already involved in Middle East’s affairs, but he can no longer move forward or pull back,” explained the Kurdish leader. He also called upon Turkish authorities to release the Kurdistan Labor Party’s leader who was detained in Turkey.One day before his fiery speech, Demirtas also requested that Kurdish regions in Turkey, Syria and Iraq become autonomous administrations, like in Iraq, having the following capitals: Erbil, Diyarbaqir, Qamishli and the Republic of Mahabad.
From his office in Aleppo, Muhyadeen Sheikhaly, a member in the Kurdish National Council (the ten-member council was recently established by Kurds under the patronage of the “President” of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani), stated that if Turkish forces invaded Syrian Kurdistan, the region would turn into a bloodbath. “The Syrian regime has lost its powers and we are filling the void,” he added. “We do not intend to establish a Kurdish autonomous region, but we want to obtain our rights based on transparent elections, after the Assad regime collapses. It is the dream of every Kurd to see the four divisions of Kurdistan united. However, this is not what we aspire to.”
In reply to Erdogan’s threats of Turkish interference in Syria, Sheikhaly said, “There are many wise men in Turkey and Erdogan will not commit such a mistake. However, if Turkey invades the [Syrian] region, it will not get out of there again, because the region will turn into a bloodbath.”
On his part, Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmed Davutoglu, stated that he would call the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in Aleppo.
While leaving a conference on Kurds’ rights in Konya, Davutoglu confirmed: “Aleppo is the city of trade and civilization. Ruining this city is a sign of the oppression imposed on Syria. To us, Aleppo is a very important city, because it is our gate of communications with the neighboring regions, not to mention the city’s historical relations with Gaziantep and Sanliurfa. Therefore, we will do our best to stop this tyranny and bombing.”
The leader of the Republican People’s Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, launched a strong attack on Erdogan and Davutoglu’s foreign policy. “Each country devises their policy based on their interests. On the contrary, Erdogan and Davutoglu’s policy reflects pure racism, stubbornness, ideological blindness and deception,” confirmed Kilicdaroglu.
“Turkey’s foreign policy is today in the most critical phase. We are now paying the price. This is the point we have reached today. Turkey has received a major blow,” he noted.
“Turkey has been fooled by the ‘strategic depth stories’ of a team that lacks skills and competence. Consequently, today it is stuck in a deep hole.”
Kilicdaroglu stated that he always warned Erdogan’s government of the situation in Syria and the chaos and division that were now overwhelming the country, noting that Turkey would be deeply affected by such situation. He also addressed Turkey’s foreign minister by asking him, “Have you not noticed from the beginning that Turkey might become divided? If you did not notice this, something the entire world noticed, this means you were ‘strategically blind.’ The world’s greatest forces have appointed you as the land register’s secretary charged of issuing property deeds. We were once masters of the game and here we are today just a game in the region.”
Uprooted Palestinian 
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