Karayilan: Ruling bloc trying to create enemy by fueling nationalism

A senior official of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said that the ruling bloc of parties in Turkey are engaged in efforts to create an enemy by fueling nationalism, and in the process target the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and its allies by creating an impression that they are linked to the PKK.

Speaking to broadcaster Sterk TV, PKK executive committee member Murat Karayilan said:

"They are trying to create an enemy by fueling nationalism and chauvinism. Their enemy are the Kurds and the PKK. They are trying to receive support by inciting nationalist sentiments. They constantly target HDP and other parties that are part of the Labor and Freedom Alliance. They try to create a perception as if we, the PKK, and these parties are one and the same. But this is not true. These parties are legal political organizations that represent millions of people. But the ruling parties still target these parties and in doing so seek to consolidate nationalist circles around them."

Pointing out that some factions in the ranks of the state recently made an attempt to dissolve the six-party bloc of opposition parties by using the nationalist Good Party as an instrument, Karayilan said:

"But this caused a lot of unrest in Good Party, and led many people, both among officials of the party and among members, to leave the party. Those who were engaged in plans [to dissolve the alliance] realized that there would be a serious backlash, that it could even result in a split within Good Party, and reversed their move."

He added:

"This was a good thing for the democracy movement in Turkey, because it became clear that the people really want change. The people want a government change. It showed that plots based on social manipulation will not succeed."

Karayilan also commented on the violent incidents before and during a football match in Turkey's western city of Bursa, targeting Amedspor, the popular football team of Kurdish-majority Diyarbakir, or Amed, as many call it with reference to the city's ancient roots.

Karayilan said:

"Amedspor is not a political organization, but it is Kurdish. Maybe all of its members and officials are not Kurds, but the club represents the city of Amed (...) The attacks against its players are actually attacks against Kurds. These are attacks against the Kurdish people and their values. What is Amed? It is the history of Kurds. This is what has been under attack."