Interview with Evangelos D. Kokkinos
"It would be naive for Greeks to presume that the Turkish State (regardless of what political party governs) seeks peaceful coexistence with Greeks", says Uzay Bulut*, a Turkish journalist and research fellow of the Philos Project, formerly based in Ankara, in an exclusive interview with PENTAPOSTAGMA.
"Turkey is an open-air prison for dissidents today", she states, revealing the oppression to which minorities and dissidents are subjected inside Turkey.
Ms. Bulut compared the practices of the Turkish state against the Kurds with the Cyprus tragedy, pointing out that "Turkey has been illegally occupying the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974". "The occupied area has been ethnically cleansed from its indigenous Greek and other non-Muslim residents. It has been exposed to a massive and illegal Turkification and Islamisation campaign", she points out.
"Many people in Turkey doubt that the government will allow free and fair elections", she explains, also referring to the recent suppression by the Erdogan government of an independent investigation into the Istanbul bombing.
Regarding the Greek-Turkish crisis, Ms. Bulut, reminds that "as made clear several times by the government and its political opposition in Turkey for years, Turkey intends to invade the Greek islands in the Aegean", while according to her, "if Kemalists come to power, they will continue and even embolden Turkey's ambitions to invade those islands".
Regarding the Turkish-Libyan memorandum and the case of its cancellation by a new government, the Philos Project research fellow clarifies that "when it comes to issues such as Cyprus, Greece, or Armenia, all Turkish political parties pursue the same foreign policy which they believe serve Turkey's national interests", and therefore does not consider that a new government would annul the Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
Analyzing Erdogan's position regarding NATO and Russia, Ms. Bulut points out that "Turkey has no reason to follow NATO's lead in any regional issue, since NATO has allowed Turkey to get away with all its crimes in the region".
After listing a series of crimes by Turkey, from the 1955 Istanbul pogrom and continued denial of the Christian genocide of 1913-23, to the invasion of Cyprus, the invasions of Syria and Iraq, and the war of aggression against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh ) and Armenia that started in 2020, she raised key questions about the reactions of the victims. "What do victims (such as Greece) of Turkey's aggression and violations do in view of these actions? Do they do enough to expose these crimes to the international community in order to seek justice and stability?", she rhetorically asked.
Summarizing, she pointed out the Erdoğan regime's military, logistical and political support to Azerbaijan's aggression and atrocities against Armenians, as she explained that "the States of Turkey and Azerbaijan see the existence of the State of Armenia as a historical error. For them the genocide that began in 1915 remains to be completed".
"So yes, I think we will see a further escalation against Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan", Ms. Bulut concluded.
Ολόκληρη η συνέντευξη:
- With elections in Turkey approaching, how will the Erdogan regime react in case it loses? Will it hand over power bloodlessly or is Turkey at risk of worse developments?
A terrible bomb attack took place in Istanbul on November 13. The Turkish government responded by bombing the Kurds in Syria. The opposition, pro-Kurdish HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) then submitted a motion to the Turkish parliament requesting an investigation on the attack. The motion was rejected by the votes of the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) and its ally, the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party). When the government of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not even open to an independent investigation regarding the bomb attack, many people in Turkey doubt that the government will allow free and fair elections.
- In case of an armed conflict between Turkey and Greece, how do you think the Kurds will act in Syria, Iraq, and SE Turkey? Do you think a Greek-Turkish war is possible?
As made clear several times by the government and its political opposition in Turkey for years, Turkey intends to invade the Greek islands in the Aegean. They invaded the Republic of Cyprus in 1974, continue to illegally occupy it to this day, and have never been held accountable for this. So there is no reason why Turkey does not do the same thing by trying to possess the Aegean islands. How the Kurdish movement will react concerning the possibility of Turkish aggression against Greece should be asked to the Kurdish movement itself.
- What will the Kemalists do with the 20 Aegean islands (which according to Erdogan have disputed sovereignty) given Kılıçdaroğlu's statements about them?
Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the CHP (Republican People's Party) and other Kemalist parties are becoming more impatient and aggressive in their rhetoric about the Greek islands in the Aegean. They accuse Erdogan of wasting time and not keeping his promise of "going to [conquer] the islands suddenly one night". If Kemalists come to power, they will continue and even embolden Turkey's ambitions to invade those islands. Given what the Turkish State has done for decades to Hellenism in Anatolia and Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, it would be naive for Greeks to presume that the Turkish State (regardless of what political party governs) seeks peaceful coexistence with Greeks.
- Will any new government in Turkey cancel the Turkish-Libyan memorandum?
Governments in Turkey act in accordance with the foreign policy of the State. The State being the army and the intelligence organization. When it comes to issues such as Cyprus, Greece, or Armenia, all Turkish political parties pursue the same foreign policy which they believe serve Turkey's national interests. So I do not think that a new government would cancel the Turkish-Libyan memorandum. No major Turkish opposition party has opposed the Turkish-Libyan memorandum.
- Where does Erdogan's double standard diplomacy with Russia and the USA lead? What are its aims, results and consequences at the domestic and international level?
Turkey is neither pro-West nor pro-Russia. Since the Russia-Ukraine war started, Turkey has been implementing its own policy on the issue that is not in line with NATO's requests despite being a NATO member. Turkey has its own sovereign policy on Ukraine and Russia – it keeps an equal distance to all sides involved and continues its relations with all of them. For Turkey has no reason to follow NATO's lead in any regional issue. NATO has allowed Turkey to get away with all its crimes in the region – including the 1955 pogrom in Constantinople, the 1974 invasion of Cyprus, the ongoing denial of the 1913-23 Christian genocide, the aggressive war against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Armenia that started in 2020, Turkey's military incursions into Syria and Iraq, and its support for jihadists there including ISIS and al Qaeda-affiliated groups. The question is: What do victims (such as Greece) of Turkey's aggression and violations do in view of these actions? Do they do enough to expose these crimes to the international community in order to seek justice and stability?
- Accusations of human rights violations and oppression of minorities in Turkey are a thorn in the side of the Erdogan regime. What is the situation today for minorities and dissidents?
Turkey is an open-air prison for dissidents today. One could easily land in jail for a Twitter post or a single remark that criticizes the government. Or they could be fired from their jobs and prosecuted for "insulting a State official" or even for "supporting or praising terrorism". Minorities such as Kurds suffer the most. Tens of thousands of political prisoners rot in Turkish jails. Many are Kurdish. Thousands of the members of the legal Kurdish party (HDP) are in jail. That includes the co-heads of the party, the democratically elected mayors and co-mayors, members of parliament and other activists of the party. This leads us to compare the Kurdish situation in Turkey with Turkey's actions in Cyprus. Turkey has been illegally occupying the northern part of the Republic of Cyprus since 1974. The occupied area has been ethnically cleansed from its indigenous Greek and other non-Muslim residents. It has been exposed to a massive and illegal Turkification and Islamisation campaign. Everything belonging to the Hellenic and other non-Turkish civilizations is being systematically erased by the occupying regime there. When it came to finding a "solution" for the problem, Turkey first imposed the race-based and religion-based, apartheid-style "solution" called the "bizonal and bicommunal federation" on Cyprus. Now Turkish authorities want the illegally occupied area to be internationally recognized as a "State". Yet, the same Turkish government treats its own Kurdish citizens as less than human and does not even officially recognize their language. So many Kurds have been murdered in Turkey for requesting equal national rights. The Republic of Cyprus should do more to expose the differences between the way Turkey treats its Kurdish citizens and the demands Turkey makes in Cyprus, where Turkey illegally occupies 36% of the Republic.
- Turkey is increasingly involved in the Caucasus region, supporting Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia. Do you think we will see further escalation with Turkish involvement in this region?
Turkey has been involved in the Azeri war against Armenians since the beginning of the 2020 war. Turkey has helped Azerbaijan militarily, logistically, and politically. Erdogan has publicly declared his support for Azerbaijan repeatedly. Since then, Azerbaijan has ethnically cleansed parts of Artsakh from its indigenous Armenians, forcibly displaced tens of thousands of civilians, and committed many atrocities such as beheadings as well as the destruction of cultural patrimony. The States of Turkey and Azerbaijan see the existence of the State of Armenia as a historical error. For them the genocide that began in 1915 remains to be completed. So yes, I think we will see a further escalation against Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.
