The peace process and temporary ceasefire (declared only by Kurdish forces) seems to be broken in Turkey after the Suruc massacre. . I am opening this forum thread to report on developments related to social (ethnic) peace and conflict in Turkey and the position of state and Kurdish authorities on it. Also to follow its effects on social movements and political organisations in Turkey.
A summary of how we come here;
The tensions were high especially before the election in 7th June (which resulted end of one-party rule of Akp of last 13 years, and with the rise of HDP - the Kurdish and leftists's party- above the electoral threshold. ) The government and especially the president Tayyip Erdogan was showing signs of stepping back from negotiations. There were even occasions of killed Kurdish guerrillas or attacks of cops over kurdish civilians and arrests in various events or demonstrations. Kurdish movement was dedicatedly not replying back with violence.
However after the elections the government started to use a much more aggressive discourse that reminded of the civil war times. In response KCK allowed attacks of guerrillas in spirit of self-defence agains the ecological destruction of Kurdistan (like, forest fires and dams, which according to kurdish sources mainly made to prevent mobilization of Kurdish guerrillas and remove the population and culture of kurdish people from rural places in Kurdistan)
Lastly after the Suruc Massacre, (and some retaliation attack by kurdish forces (HPG) against cops associated by IS and killing of one army officer) government acted fast and declared a campaign against terrorism and changed its foreign policy. Externally they started to support the coalition against IS. However they also started to bombing Quandil and other PKK camps. killing currently 4 guerrillas and injuring many civilians and guerrillas. The people in camps are supported by many kurds in turkey and seen as their legitimate self-defense force versus oppressors of Kurdish nation.
Also -maybe more tragically- AKP government started an operation on paper against all terrorist organisations internally very fast. The list includes IS but also Kurdish organisations, DHKP-C (a Stalisnist revolutionary organisation), MLKP (associated to the SGDF who organised the trip to Suruc), TIKKO and many other smaller groups. in 3 days now the total arrests are about a thousand people. Most of these people are leftists and not Islamic militants. There is also a wave of arrest of civilians who are members of HDP in many cities and speeches by AKP and MHP (the nationalist movement party) about the need to close down the HDP.
So basically, AKP government (even if we forget about the state practices of organised racism in Turkey) appears to push the state in a condition of a civil war, postponing maybe the hopes of a peace between Turks and Kurds indefinitely. The anger in the Kurdish cities is increasing with every killed guerilla or civilian and arbitrary police violence and the empty lies of Turkish government to make peace with them and let them live with honor. On the other hand Turkish society is unfortunately a fertile soil to grow hatred against the Kurds and Kurdish freedom movement by propaganda. This way AKP hopes to consolidate its power by exclude the legal Kurdish political organisations once again. HDP is trying to reply back on forming a peace block with socialist parties, CHP and NGOs. However the future looks very grim due to the shameless attacks of state forces.
In friday cops attacked to peace march in Ankara. Yesterday cops attacked the demonstration for the people killed in Suruc in Izmir. Now they arrested people who just opened a stand for the memory of killed in Suruc in Ankara. 8 people are arrested
http://www.evrensel.net/haber/256900/suructa-yasamini-yitirenler-icin-acilan-taziye-cadirina-polis-saldirisi