Home » Benifei: “Sanction Erdogan’s loyalists to stop the repression in Turkey”

Benifei: “Sanction Erdogan’s loyalists to stop the repression in Turkey”

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«Erdogan uses the fight against terrorism as an excuse for repression. Targeted sanctions are needed to push Turkey to interrupt political processes and respect human rights ”. Brando Benifei, head of the PD delegation to the EU Parliament, speaks from Ankara, where on Monday, together with the Swedish MEP of Kurdish origin Evin Incir, he attended the first hearing of the Kobane trial, the maxi court case that brought 108 party members to the stand pro-Kurdish HDP, including historical leader Selahattin Demirtas.
What is their fault?
«The official accusation is that he fomented the riots of October 2014, when the Kurds protested against Ankara’s inaction in the face of the advance of ISIS in Kobane. In those days there were 37 dead and 700 wounded. For the judges, the leaders of the HDP are responsible. But it is clear that this is a farce, the goal is to expel them from the vote ».

A political process, in short.
“Exact. The only fault that the defendants have is that they expressed solidarity with Kobane. They are tried for a tweet or a wrong statement. For us, Kobane is synonymous with resistance, but for Erdogan it represents a threat, the symbol of that desire for Kurdish autonomy that the Turkish president does not tolerate ».
Do you think the world has abandoned the Kurds?
“Certainly, especially starting with US President Donald Trump, who in 2019 gave Erdogan the green light to invade northeastern Syria. With Biden I hope things change. Today Europe has an opportunity to make itself heard. We have sanctioned Putin’s magic circle for Navalny, perhaps it is appropriate to do the same with Erdogan. We cannot tolerate the violation of human rights and the dissolution of the rule of law ”.
On Monday, 500 arrest warrants were issued against military personnel. The repression is not just about the Kurds, right?
“The impeachment is used to strengthen the chain of command around Erdogan, it is a strategy aimed at strengthening the regime.”
The latest Council of Europe report indicates Turkey as one of the countries with the highest incarceration rates, 357 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants. How are these numbers explained?
“Preventive incarceration is used as a form of intimidation, which is why the cells explode.”
Erdogan has left the Istanbul convention. What is the condition of women?
«Turkish society is mixed, the president wanted to shift the balance towards the conservative component. It is also for this reason that he hates the Kurds, among them women enjoy ample freedom ».
Biden recognized the Armenian genocide. Could tense relations between the US and Turkey compromise the future of NATO?
«Certainly there is a need for clarification on the part of Ankara, especially after the ambiguities in Syria. But a NATO crisis does not suit anyone. Europe has the opportunity to play alongside Washington, but it must first adopt a unitary foreign policy ”.
The issue of migrants remains, with which Erdogan blackmails us.
«I think of migrants as Letta, we need a“ next generation migration ”. Only in this way will we be able to free ourselves from Turkey’s blackmail ”.
Has Europe’s relationship with Ankara changed since the breakup?
“The sofagate has highlighted the contradictions of the EU, Erdogan has only taken advantage of them”.
But the words of Draghi, who called the Turkish leader a dictator, left their mark. Are relationships compromised?
“I do not believe. Italy and Turkey have historical ties, and they can only improve if Ankara demonstrates that it is making progress on human rights ”.

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