HDP renews call for immediate mutual silencing of arms

ANKARA

AFP photo

The Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has offered its condolences over the killing of an undisclosed number of Turkish soldiers on Sept. 6 in a major attack in the southeastern province of Hakkari conducted by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), while it reiterated its call for a mutual silencing of arms both by the PKK and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).“Turkey is rapidly sliding into a disaster. The fire is growing. Each passing hour and each passing day is drawing all of us closer to the opening of wounds which are difficult to heal and living with great polarization and disintegration,” said the HDP’s Central Executive Board (MYK) on Sept. 7.“Each day and each hour, no matter which uniforms they wear, our youngsters, civilians and our children, the assets and lives of these lands, the future of this country is dying. For all the lives lost in Dağlıca, Cizre and Sur on Sept. 6, we offer our condolences to their families and our peoples; may they rest in peace,” the HDP said in a written statement.“We should stop this grief before being dragged into bigger disasters. Governing this country and resolving problems, which are currently getting deeper, is not possible with an approach which can still say ‘It wouldn’t have been like this if 400 deputies were taken,’ and with a mentality which blockades Cizre and opens fire at our deputies,” the party said.“We are calling one more time and urgently. Fingers should be kept off the trigger and guns should be silenced. The [Turkish] parliament must be called for an extraordinary assembly and solutions must be sought through democratic politics,” it said.“We have no time to lose anymore. What has been experienced is not a game; it should be stopped before it arrives at a point of no return.”