Turkey is now back in a state of civil war after the Turkish government bombed a number of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) positions in northern Iraq, along the groups front against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Despite an almost two year ceasefire, Turkey has moved to violence as a response to gains made by the Kurds against ISIS, fearing it could encourage the minority to seek independence.
Yup, that’s right, Turkey is far more afraid of an oppressed minority seeking autonomy and self determination than the folks putting out regular mass crucifixion snuff films and turning countless women and children into sex slaves.
Yeah, the PKK is far from perfect, but the Kurds have almost single-handedly resisted the expansion of ISIS throughout Iraq and Syria, perhaps most famously in Kobane, where the PKK’s Syrian counterparts, the YPG, defended the city for months against tanks and other heavy weaponry with little more than light arms and the odd bit coalition air support (after it became effective marketing for the US to be seen helping).
The PKK were also the first to aid Iraqi Yazidi’s stranded atop Mount Sinjar in Iraq’s north, during the early stages of ISIS’ initial expansion. The Sinjar Massacre was what kicked off the ISIS media frenzy and led to the US-coalition’s ‘war’ against the group. What you don’t really hear was that the PKK were the first to move supplies across the Turkish border to those in need on the mountain and start evacuating the 50-thousand Yazidi’s stranded there.
Unsurprisingly, the West has turned its back on the Kurds, and will undoubtedly ignore the conflict as best it can (what’s changed eh?). The group which has proved to be the only effective opposition to the advance of ISIS will now be fighting on a second front against resurgent Turkish aggression.
You’d think that doing ISIS dirty work (killing Kurds) would, you know, sorta put the Turkish government in a bad light, maybe even raise a hint of faux disapproval from the US. But it don’t and it wont.
Because killing anarchists and socialists is much more important than killing theofascists.
Because even the slightest possibility of an independent Kurdish state is more terrifying than a Caliphate.
Fuck states, fuck governments, but especially fuck Erdogan. A ditch on the side of the road is too good for him.
From: Black Flag