As the war in Iran continues and imperialism is trying to find excuses and reasons to justify the attack, we are witnessing a nation united in resisting this rapacious assault. However, the imperialist attack is not limited only to Israel, the US, or Iran. The wars in these times go well beyond a couple of borders, and from their first day become a regional conflict a hair breadth away from a world war. The war started by the US and Israel was sold to Americans as a 4- or 5-day war and it would be over very quickly as the US would takeover the resources of Iran. However, things took a much different turn. What does this mean for NATO member Türkiye, NATO, or the Kurds as they all try to cope with their internal contradictions as well as the new imperialist war that could bring the region or the whole world to a catastrophic end.
Ertuğrul Kürkçü, a prominent socialist author, organizer, an elected representative politician in the Turkish parliament, Honorary President of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Honorary Associate of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Kürkçü was elected in the 2015 June and November general elections consecutively as a Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Member of Parliament from Izmir. In the June 7th, 2015 elections, the HDP entered the parliament with 80 deputies including Kürkçü. Currently HDP is the third largest party in Turkey.
Kürkçü is under ongoing legal prosecution for more than 16 separate charges for the speeches he made and for the popular protests he joined during his 7 years of deputyship. He has been sentenced two years in December 2018 by the Iğdır Penal Court and pending appeal. Total charges against Kürkçü amount to some 40 years.
He is joining us from Germany where he lives today, to discuss the ongoing crisis in the region.
