HDP invites Chomsky to Kurdistan

2016-01-15 19:11:34

NEWS DESK (DİHA) - Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Şırnak MP Faysal Sarıyıldız has invited American philosopher Professor Noam Chomsky who rejected Erdoğan's invitation to Turkey, saying; “If I decide to go to Turkey, it will not be on his invitation, but as frequently before at the invitation of the many courageous dissidents, including Kurds who have been under severe attack for many years.”

Chomsky was responding to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over his comments on academics who signed a “We will not be a party to this crime" declaration against ongoing war of the Turkish government against the civilian population in Turkey's Kurdish region. Turkish President called the academics "traitors" and “so-called intellectuals”, and accused them of misinforming the international community, also inviting renowned names who supported the declaration to come to Turkey to see the situation with their own eyes.

An HDP MP for Şırnak, Faysal Sarıyıldız, who is in Cizre since the beginning of the curfew and aggression, wrote a letter to Chomsky detailing the situation in the Kurdish region under a heavy onslaught by Turkish forces.

Sarıyıldız invited Chomsky to Kurdistan to see the situation at scene, and asked Turkish President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu to accompany Chomsky during his visit to the Kurdish region "to see the situation with their own eyes".

Below is the letter by HDP deputy Faysal Sarıyıldız translated by ANF English service;

"I am writing to you from Cizre which remains under an constitutionally unlawful curfew and siege by thousands of soldiers and police for 32 days now. The AKP government has destroyed the entire democratic politics by suspending the results of June 7 election. Targeting the Kurdish people and all opponent circles, the AKP government has initiated a war concept as of July, 2015. Within this scope, the town of Cizre, like all the others that demand self-rule in their territory, remains under heavy state violence for weeks. As I write this letter to you, artillery strikes hit a house 500 meters to where I am now, which left 12-year-old Yusuf Akalın, his 8-year-old sister Dilan Akalın and 10-year-old cousin Büşra Akalın heavily wounded. Yusuf and Büşra lost their lives soon after being hospitalized. Alone in Cizre, a total of 54 civilians have lost their lives in the last 32 days. These include a three-month-old baby, 11 children and 11 women.

The jacket cut out for Kurds by the denialist and strict nation state system after the First World War is getting tight now. Kurds demand an end to the century-old injustice. Yet, the Kurdish people's demand for peace, freedom and self-rule within their own territory is being met with tanks and artillery attacks. The Kurdish people's demand for peace is being undermined and drenched in blood. We are being through an unfortunate situation that is dragging the peoples of Turkey to the edge of a cliff. Violence brings along further violence, and the spiral of violence is growing more and more.

In a letter to my colleagues in Europe several weeks ago, I had told about the situation here in all its aspects. I am in Cizre since the very first day curfews have been imposed here. I am not leaving the town to not leave my people alone even for one second as they live under curfew. I am an eyewitness to every incident that occurred here. In Cizre where basic human rights are being suspended and even the right to life has become a luxury, people are suffering from state violence for the 32nd uninterrupted days, during the course of which 50 civilians, including a three-month-old baby and 70-year-old elderly, have been labelled "terrorist" and killed. For long days, we couldn't bury the people we have lost. Bodies of some slain civilians are being held in morgues and cannot be laid to rest due to the ongoing siege. For long days, people have lived with the dead bodies of their relatives in the same house. We couldn't even mourn the dead. We have witnessed great tragedies and atrocities, each of which will go down in history as a black mark.

As is known by your side as well, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is now targeting over 1128 academics from 89 universities in Turkey, and as many as 400 others from various universities worldwide, including you yourself, who have recently signed a "We will not be a party to this crime" declaration demanding an end to the violence committed by the state against its own citizens.

In response to this declaration, President Erdoğan vowed that "Those who earn from this state and commit treason against it must be punished". Turkish General Kenan Evren who staged the military coup of 12 September 1980 did also utter similar remarks against the intellectuals of the time who voiced their concerns over the collapse of democracy in the country.

President Erdoğan who sees esteemed academics of this country as "so-called intellectuals" is now inviting you to Turkey, to see the situation with your own eyes.

Intellectuals represent the conscience of the society. They stand by not war but peace. As a part of their mission, they struggle to avoid one single death. We invite you, a world-renowned intellectual, to come here, which will move your sensibility of giving a signature one more step forward. The truth is; before Erdoğan's invitation to your side, we have repeatedly invited him himself, as well as the Prime Minister and ministers to come to Cizre and see the situation with their own eyes. None of them came here though, none of them could. The towns of Cizre, Silopi and Sur have become the Guernica of Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP government who have their signature under this scene of devastation in Kurdistan towns do abstain from facing this reality. In the event of being able to accompany you during your visit to here, Mr. Erdoğan and Davutoğlu could also see the truths with their own eyes.

It is more crucial than ever to unite, grow solidarity and stand against the intolerance, discourtesy and rudeness pursued by the AKP government in the person of President Erdoğan against intellectuals, defenders of peace demanders of freedom."

(nt)