"Erdogan takes us into another genocide" | Garo Paylan, …

A group of lawmakers from the opposition to the Turkish government arrived in Argentina to warn about the situation of minorities in their country, including Kurds. "We are in a state of total vigilance," said Garo Paylan, a member of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), the third largest political force in Turkey after the last elections. "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is following the path that led 105 years ago to the Armenian genocide. The policies are the same. Deny minority claims. Before that was the Armenians, now they are the Kurds. Once again, we are living in a very dark period and there is a very big risk. "

"The Kurdish people are fighting for their liberation, but the state reacts racistly, using this struggle to maintain and strengthen Turkish nationalism. These are the speeches they used 100 years ago and ended with the Armenian Genocide. Before and now, they created a dense and serious polarization. And this can also lead to a new crime, "said the Armenian legislator, in dialogue with Page12.

Paylan is a founding member of the HDP, a party created in 2012 that brings together the Kurdish movement and other ethnic minorities (Arabs, Armenians, etc.), organizations that fight for the rights of women, progressive entities , LGBT groups and environmental advocacy.

Despite persecution, deportation and genocide, many nationalities still live in Turkey today. The Turks constitute the majority. The Kurds, about 15 million, constitute the first minority. There are also Greeks, Armenians, Arabs, Assyrians. The conflict goes back several centuries, but it relies on the claim of these minorities for their self-determination and their sovereignty in the Kurdistan region located between Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria.

During the interview, Paylan repeatedly referred to the Armenian genocide. It began in 1915 when the Ottoman Empire responded by exterminating the equality claims of the Armenian people. An estimated one and a half million people are slaughtered. The fact was not yet recognized by the Turkish government.

Paylan and his partner in the HDP entourage, Ebru Günay, also legislator, visited Ex Esma and participated in the Mothers of Plaza Mayo tour which was held on Thursday. "Argentina has gone through a very dark time, but has done justice and now condemns these crimes. This gives people a lot more confidence. When visiting Ex Esma, we saw a lot of students. You have to tell them that this place is a center of shame, but also of hope, "said Paylan. "In Turkey, we have 18 million students, but education there is nationalistic and racist. It does not respect diversity. Turkish identity is first and foremost and other cultures are not taught. "

According to the Turkish Human Rights Association (ADH), between 1992 and 1996, the state allegedly committed 792 disappearances and murders in the Kurdish areas of Turkey. There are also many more cases of people whose disappearance has not been reported. "To stop this, the mothers started to gather in Galatasaray Square. They wanted to leave a message to the public, asking where their children were, "he said. They are known as "mothers on Saturdays". They could not establish justice for their children but avoided other disappearances. "Every Saturday, they met in the square, but the government banned them and they now have to do it in front of the DHA of Turkey. I can say that if I'm alive, it's thanks to them, "said Garo Paylan.

The coup d'etat that attempted to overthrow President Erdogan in 2016, allowed him to establish an alliance with the most nationalistic sectors of the country, according to the legislator of the Turkish Parliament. "The answer he gives to the killings of minorities is" yes, we killed them because they deserved it. "system: the first time, I will launch a new genocide against the northern Syrian people." Turkey has already carried out two military interventions in Syria in 2016 and 2018 during the civil war that is raging in this country.

The parliamentarians are in full tour and will also visit Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. His party has 62 seats in the National Assembly, forming the third political force behind the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which brought Erdogan to power and has 290 legislators, and the Republican People's Party with 144 seats. shoals

The HDP is recognized as the force that gives the greatest impetus to the liberation of women in Turkey. "Kurdish women are at the forefront of this fight. As a child, we visited the Kurdish region and the women were treated like animals. In the struggle for the liberation of our peoples, the most important and revolutionary event is that of women, "he said. The party has equal representation of men and women. They also have a mixed system of co-chairs in each institution or organization. "For the moment, we are the only party to apply this system, but we inspire others," said the legislator.

The struggle for minorities has become dangerous in Turkey, a country where the nationalist right is adding more and more power to President Erdogan. "A Muslim country can not be democratic, it can be shown as a yes, but it is not, but there is a very great strength in the society fighting for democracy. calls to be attentive and in solidarity with this part of the world that is fighting, "he finally said.

Report: Juan Manuel Boccacci