Turning a blind eye to Erdoğan's war, turning our backs on Turkish democracy
By Mostafa Minawi, contributor
The suicide bombing of the political rally for peace in Ankara, which was sponsored by labor groups and supported by the leftist pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), was not only the worst terrorist attack in Turkey's history, claiming well over 100 lives, it was the latest in a series attacks that have been targeting civilians and political organizations for the past two months. For example, in July, another suicide bombing claimed the lives of 30 young people in the border town of Suruç. Many in Turkey have accused the Turkish state of being behind these attacks. The outspoken leader of HDP, Selahattin Demirtaş, recently said on CNN International that even if the government was not directly behind the violence, they have at least turned a blind eye to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) elements that are not only likely responsible for the attacks, but, according to Demirtaş, have also infiltrated the ranks of the Turkish government. The West has so far remained silent, but at what cost?
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