Rights Activists Protest Against Militarism

On Saturday (26 January), members of the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD) gathered in Taksim, central Istanbul, to set a sign against the rise in militarism and nationalism in the country.

Holding a banner reading “Don’t kill anyone, and don’t make anyone else kill”, the protesters said:

“We oppose the racist, nationalist and militarist mentality which blesses blood, death and war, and which encourages school children to make a flag with their blood and dream of killing and dying.”

What are all the dead bodies for? 

IHD branch president Gülseren Yoleri read a statement:

“According to the latest statements, between 200 and 250 people were killed in the cross-border operations [which the Turkish Armed Forces carried out against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Northern Iraq]. This number does not include those who were killed when shelters and caves were bombed from the air, nor the many wounded taken to hospitals.”

“The statements did not mention any soldiers or civilians killed. They were part of an announcement that operations would continue, yet nothing was said about what was being aimed for by stepping on dead bodies.”

Yoleri described how militarism and racism had increased among the media, the army and society during this time:

• Seven young lives were extinguised with a bomb exploding in Diyarbakir. In Silopi [south-eastern province of Sirnak], two little girls died after finding a grenade in the street and thinking it was a toy. The Chief of General Staff showed a Turkish flag made by high school students with their own blood and sent to him as a present; he said, “This is how great a nation we are.”
• The Tercüman newspaper handed out promotional copies of the “flag of blood”, and printed the pictures of the “exemplary pupils” on the back. The newspaper then targeted journalists Perihan Magden and Ece Temelkuran, who criticised the “flag of blood” and any approval of such behaviour, and threatened them.
• When there were skirmishes after a commemoration event of journalist Hrant Dink on the first anniversary of his murder, the police shot and injured a person.
• In Adana, IHD branch president Ethem Acikalin and seven other representatives of democratic organisations were arrested for listening to the press release of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in front of their district party office. The police intervened with tear gas and truncheons. Many people were detained and many injured.

Attempts to create chaos in society

Yoleri also touched on the “Ergenekon operation”, i.e. last week’s detention of 33 people suspected of membership in an ultra-nationalist gang planning a coup.

“All these events show clearly that there are planned attempts, also using state resources, to push society into chaos and violence. The aim is to destroy society’s rights and freedoms, people’s hopes fort he future, and turning them into breathing, but weak-spirited, lifeless creatures, and to ensure that the dirty machinery turns.”

"No one should die anymore"

Finally, Yoleri quoted Magden:

“No one should die on this soil anymore. There should be no more odes to being killed and killing in this country. Let there be no applause and tears for such pathological expressions on this soil. Let there be no more discourse of “martyrs.” (EZÖ/NZ/AG)