Scratching the 'Islamist vein' of the Kurds

Following the show of force they staged in Istanbul on the first day of the new year, shouting slogans for Sharia and the caliphate under the pretext of supporting Palestine, we asked, 'Could he bring back the caliphate through a law passed by Parliament to consolidate the religious base in the local elections, and declare himself caliph?' and then the debates took off!

The discussions escalated rapidly.

News channels and social media fueled the issue more and more.

Yet, His Excellency himself had not brought this to the agenda, nor had he even used the word in a sentence.

He only questioned the Republican and Kemalist reaction that emerged following the scandal in Saudi Arabia, asking, 'Is this perhaps a secular uprising?' saying he was suspicious, and then, in order not to leave the field to the opposition, “There is a sinister operation here, a very clear attempt at sabotage against Turkey and Turkey’s interests” he had taken a political position with these words.

But still, he first used his own methods to ensure it was discussed in the public eye and tested the waters. 

“Our neighborhood” in developing a world of meaning through symbols “the other neighborhood” was not as successful, so it could not really notice the signal flares fired until the sharia-advocating show of force in Istanbul.

His Excellency had thrust the black flag, the banner of the caliphate, into the eyes of the nation during the ceremony on October 29, where he saluted the Navy as it held a parade on the Bosphorus to mark the 100th anniversary of the Republic. 

However, it did not become much of a subject of debate at the time. 

Only the state-fed press, “That flag was not placed there by coincidence; those who are wise will understand” was content with saying.

It seems that until March 31, he is prepared to put into circulation anything that will polarize society through religion, faith, God, and the Quran, regardless of the cost.

He is playing a very dangerous game again.

We have emphasized many times before that he has won all elections with this strategy. However, there is a subtle distinction that stands out this time.

It now wants to include Islamist Kurds in its strategy of polarization and alignment, aimed at fortifying a religious base that has begun to unravel due to the economic crisis and is looking elsewhere for a new patron to pledge allegiance to, even if it has not yet begun to question.

Until today, a significant portion of Kurds in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia formed the natural base of the AKP.

In a sense, it owed its stay in power since 2002 to Islamist, conservative Kurds. Even after it abandoned the peace process and carried out the trench operations, the Kurds continued their support.

In the 2018 presidential elections, it had received the votes of nearly half of the Kurds in the region.

However, before the May 14-28 elections, the balance began to shift slightly. The Palace saw in the surveys it conducted almost daily that the Islamist Kurdish electorate intended to act more independently.

This was of critical importance for the government. Because it knew that without the Islamist Kurds in particular, it could not hold onto power. Let us say this was one of the reasons it took HÜDA PAR on board while heading to the elections, and continue.

In the very first week of the new year, HÜDA PAR, an extension of Hezbollah and a partner in the AKP's government, suddenly appeared with Kelime-i Tevhid flags.

Under the pretext of protesting Israel in Batman organized the “Descendants of Saladin are marching for Gaza” event. During the march, slogans such as “The only path is martyrdom” and “war, jihad, martyrdom” were chanted.

Simultaneously, the IHH also made its presence felt in Istanbul. In the march procession, they shouted, “The green of the flag of Tawhid is the Turkish flag painted with the blood of martyrs. Let the world see. Let us shout our most sacred slogan under our most sacred banner, the flag of Tawhid,” while reciting the Takbir.

Let us open a brief parenthesis here and underscore with a thick marker that the IHH had previously provided strong support for the AKP’s Kurdish opening. 

In other words, the IHH will be one of the powerful instruments of the potential opening that the government will carry out in the coming period.

As Kurdish nationalism and Islamism are moved to the forefront of the agenda, Abdülillah Fırat, the grandson of Sheikh Said and a former deputy for the Welfare Party and the Virtue Party, did not hold back.

He joined the debate with a statement that revealed his political subconscious, claiming that his grandfather set out for religious purposes and that if the rebellion had succeeded, he aimed to establish an Islamic state. 

Not stopping there, “Sheikh Said Efendi was going to bring the Islamic regime. If he had established a state, the state would have been Islamic; but which Islamic? The Islam of the Kurds. The nation would have been Kurdish and the regime would have been an Islamic regime,” he said.

Then, the “coup de grâce” came from former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who is currently in prison. 

Selahattin Demirtaş, in whom a significant portion of leftists and socialists in Turkey have placed their hopes and even consider a future leader, stated during the Kobani trial: “The civilization of these lands is Islamic civilization. Some Turkish socialists do not know these things, and because they do not know, they cannot reach society. It is Islamic civilization that exists in these lands that created us. It is Islamic civilization that has sustained us all for 1300 years. Islamic civilization is not backward or anything of the sort. Some call it 1400 years of reactionism. With an absurd approach that does not understand history, they are insulting themselves. It is a deep-rooted, powerful civilization.” he blurted out.

At first, it was not very clear to whom, why, or for what purpose Selahattin Demirtaş was sending a message through Islamism, in a way that had absolutely nothing to do with his defense. However, the reactions against him grew like an avalanche on social media.

Because with this statement, he had not only signaled to the Islamists but also targeted the left-wing and socialist circles that support him.

Why did he feel the need for such a defense at the cost of losing his support within these circles!

Those who follow Selahattin Demirtaş closely believe that this was an attempt to preempt the government's strategy of fortifying Islamist Kurds and aligning them behind itself.

For now, we do not know; the true intention will emerge over time. Ultimately, regardless of who says or does what and when, all of this finds resonance in the perception world of Islamist Kurds.

Naturally, in the coming period, the government will likely assess how much this dangerous polarization serves its interests. If it anticipates that this will lead to an increase in votes toward the elections—which seems to be the case—it will continue to strain the country and society.

The agitation of the Islamist vein, through Sheikh Said with the rhetoric of an "unsettled account" and the overt or symbolic promotion of the caliphate issue, can also be considered as preparation for a new opening process following the local elections. by raising the expectations of the Kurds. 

It is already known that the government is pursuing a new Constitution. 

His Excellency is swimming in extremely dangerous waters to remain in power. 

Because this also carries the potential, one way or another, to trigger a possible civil war in Turkey; let us express our fear and reservations, and put an end to our article here.