ISRAEL EMBRACES ITS INNER NAZI JUDGE* 

Israelis continue weekend protests against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plans

First reading of proposals are set to take place in Knesset on Monday, with opposition calling for additional protests and partial strikes

Israeli protesters attend a rally in central Tel Aviv, on 11 February, against controversial legal reforms being touted by the country's hard-right government (AFP)

By MEE and agencies
Published date: 11 February 2023 

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday for another week of protests against judicial overhaul plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government which critics say threaten democratic checks on ministers by the courts.

The plans, which the government says are needed to curb overreach by judges, have drawn fierce opposition from groups including lawyers, and raised concerns among business leaders, widening already deep political divisions in Israeli society.

Israel's military 'justice' system is turning in on itselfRead More »

"We (are) ...here in order to demonstrate against the government of Israel under Netanyahu, which in our belief is against democracy and are going to do anything they can in order to take out democracy of Israel," said Illan Bendori, 70, at a protest in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu has dismissed the protests as a refusal by leftist opponents to accept the results of last November's election, which produced one of the most right-wing governments in Israel's history.

"We are ...very proud of our democracy and he wants to make Israel something else. We will not agree, we will do everything in our power to stop it," Hadar Weis, 61, told Reuters at the protest in Tel Aviv.

The protesters say Israeli democracy would be undermined if the government succeeds in pushing through the plans, which would tighten political control over judicial appointments and limit the Supreme Court's powers to overturn government decisions or Knesset laws.

Additional protests and partial strikes are called for Monday when a first reading of the proposals is set to take place in the parliament.

Israel's N12 news released a poll on Saturday revealing that 62 percent of Israelis want the proposed judicial plans to be either paused or halted altogether.

On Cusp of Judicial Reform Vote, Israelis Step Up Opposition

Protesters against the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms march in Tel Aviv on February 11, 2023. 

(Dario Sanchez/The Media Line)

MOHAMMAD AL-KASSIM
02/12/2023

Tens of thousands protest in Israel for 6th week against government’s efforts to weaken Israel’s Supreme Court and wrest control of judicial appointments

Tens of thousands of Israelis rallied for the sixth week against their government’s planned legal reform of the country’s judicial system. The largest protests on Saturday night were held in Tel Aviv, with several other large demonstrations taking place around the country.

The protesters were rallying to condemn proposed controversial judicial reforms pushed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which as written would give the government control over the appointment of new judges and weaken the Supreme Court.

The protests have become a weekly event on Saturday nights since the prime minister’s new government – labeled the most extreme, right-wing government in Israel’s history – took office in late December.


Women protest against the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reforms rally in Tel Aviv on February 11, 2023. (Dario Sanchez/The Media Line)

Moran Katzenstein, founder of Bonot Alternativa, a feminist group that works to counter discrimination and violence against women, told The Media Line that she is most concerned about the proposed changes that will impact the Supreme Court.

Katzenstein, who has attended every demonstration, accuses the government of being “misogynists” and “chauvinists.”

“Now it feels like this is a real milestone in discrimination against women, and this is where all women’s organizations are partnering together to demonstrate and to show our protest against the activity of the government,” she said.

She says she does not want the government to collapse, but calls on the “more rational” group of lawmakers within the government to take a stand.

“I think there are enough people in the government that can stop what’s going on themselves,” she said.

“I’m very concerned about what’s going to be with my beloved country after the changes that this government intends to do. It won’t be the same Israel as everybody knows until now,” Yaron, who drove an hour from Jerusalem to attend the demonstration in Tel Aviv, told The Media Line.


Protesters against the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reforms rally in Tel Aviv on February 11, 2023. (Dario Sanchez/The Media Line)

He added that “just 75 years after independence and nobody can be sure that we are going to keep being an independent and democratic country anymore.”

He called on President Isaac Herzog to intervene.

“I expect from our president to be more active not to let them do it,” he said.

Netanyahu returned to power following elections in November, the fifth in three years, at the head of the country’s most religious, nationalist coalition ever.

His proposed judicial reforms would allow Israel’s parliament to override any Supreme Court decision with a simple majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat body, as well as boost political control over the system through which judges are appointed.

A first reading of the bill is scheduled for Monday.

Leaders of the protest movement opposing the reforms have called for a country-wide general strike on the same day.

Many young Israelis were in the Tel Aviv crowd, among them first-timer Gal, 21, who is calling on people his age to be more active and take a larger role “to protect the future of the country.”

“It’s nice that people older than me are coming to these protests because it’s important but, at the end of the day, people who are going to be affected in the long run are people my age,” he told The Media Line.

A sea of Israeli flags seen in Tel Aviv at the protest against the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reforms on February 11, 2023. (Dario Sanchez/The Media Line)

Gal, like many of the protesters, is demanding the resignation of Netanyahu, who is fighting corruption charges in court. He accuses the prime minister of putting his personal interests ahead of the government.

“We have a prime minister that’s trying to change the judicial system so he can get away with being corrupt. He is trying in every way to weaken the judiciary system to escape his trial,” according to Gal.

Netanyahu denies the charges against him, which include bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Israel’s former attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit, accused Netanyahu of advancing the controversial reforms in order to bring an end to his ongoing criminal trial.

Mandelblit said in an interview broadcast Thursday that the proposed overhaul to the judicial system would be “regime change” that would “eliminate the independence of Israel’s legal system from end to end.”

*CARL SCHMITT

OLD TESTAMENT CURSE OF A VENGEFUL GOD

Turkey-Syria earthquake: Controversial Israeli rabbi calls disaster 'divine justice'

Shmuel Eliyahu claimed God was punishing countries affected by disaster because of alleged mistreatment of the Jewish people

NOT VERY NEIGHBOURLY AT ALL

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu speaks in 2019 (Wikicommons)

By MEE staff
Published date: 12 February 2023 

A controversial Israeli rabbi has sparked outrage after claiming the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday was "divine justice".

Shmuel Eliyahu, who serves as the chief Rabbi of Safed in northern Israel and is a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council, claimed that God was punishing countries affected by the disaster because of their alleged mistreatment of the Jewish people.

"God is judging all the nations around us who wanted to invade our land and throw us into the sea," Eliyahu wrote in an op-ed published in the Olam Katan newspaper on Friday.

At least 28,000 people were killed in Monday's devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, with as many as 18m people directly affected in southern Turkey and northern Syria.

Syria earthquake: Survivors in northwest region cling to hope as aid finally arrivesRead More »

In his column, Eliyahu claimed that Syria had "abused its Jewish residents for hundreds of years, invaded Israel three times, shot for years at the farmers who lived at the foot of the Golan Heights, abused captives and hanged [Israeli spy] Eli Cohen."

He also took aim at Lebanon, which was rocked by the quake and is facing a debilitating financial crisis, writing: "There is no doubt that the country, which was once the 'Switzerland of the Middle East' has become hell on earth, and such things do not happen by chance."

As for Turkey, which served as the epicentre of the quake, he wrote: "We don't know what the Heaven's accounts are with Turkey, which slandered us in every possible arena, but if God reveals that he is going to make judgements on our enemies, we know that everything that happens is to clean the world and make it better."

Eliyahu, who is the the father of right-wing parliamentarian and Israel's minister of heritage, Amihai Ben-Eliyahu, has repeatedly courted controversy over his anti-Palestinian and Arab remarks, and has been indicted for inciting racism.

In 2008, he called on the government to carry out "state-sanctioned revenge" against Arabs in order to restore what he described as Israel's deterrence in the wake of an attack at a Jewish school in Jerusalem.

And in 2019, he told teenagers suspected of murdering a Palestinian woman in the West Bank that they shouldn't fear prison as that's where the road to political power begins, prompting several rights groups to call for disciplinary action and criminal charges to be filed against him.

Since the devastating earthquake, dozens of countries from across the world have dispatched aid and rescues team to Turkey, including Israel.

Rocky relationship

Relations between Turkey and Israel worsened in 2011, when Ankara expelled Israel's ambassador following a UN report into Israel's 2010 raid on the Mavi Marmara aid ship to Gaza, during which nine Turkish citizens were killed.

The rift was healed in 2016 when full diplomatic relations were restored and both countries traded ambassadors.

Late last year, Israel's President Isaac Herzog met Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital Ankara, marking the first visit by an Israeli head of state to the country since 2008.

Turkey's once mighty developers under fire after quake

Monday's quake has left a trail of destruction while claiming more than 30,000 lives

 © OZAN KOSE / AFP

Issued on: 12/02/2023 

Ankara (AFP) – Their mugshots are everywhere: a Turkish developer arrested while trying to flee the country and two colleagues connected to a luxurious apartment tower that crumbled in Monday's disastrous quake.

The traumatised country's social media users are calling for their heads.

Turkish officials are turning them into the focus of public outrage at the shoddy business dealings that appear to have contributed to the disaster's almost unfathomable scale.

And architects view the Ronesans tower's collapse as a symbol of Turkey's inability to maintain building standards that could have dramatically reduced the catastrophic toll.

The number of confirmed fatalities surpassed 29,000 in Turkey and 3,500 in Syria on Sunday.

The quake has become the region's deadliest natural disaster in more than 80 years. But officials at the United Nations warn that the final fatalities number may be closer to 50,000.

Turkish officials have responded to the outrage by announcing a rapid series of investigations and arrests linked to the construction and development business.

Three people were put behind bars by Sunday and seven more have been detained -- including two developers who were trying to relocate to the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Turkey's justice ministry has issued warrants for 114 more people and launched 134 investigations.

'Irregularities'

The problem for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government -- in power for the past 20 years -- is that the Ronesans case is far from unique.

Turkey has erected towers across fault lines and swathes of earthquake-prone regions that have been bracing for a major jolt for years.

One of the biggest single disasters struck a hotel housing two dozen Cypriot students and 15 accompanying adults who were in Turkey for a volleyball tournament.

All of the children died and only four adults survived.

NTV television said the hotel was briefly closed due to construction "irregularities". But then it reopened its doors.

"I want these people to face justice. They are murderers," an unnamed witness of the hotel's collapse told NTV.

Thousands of buildings have crumbled across Turkey from the 7.8-magnitude tremor 

© OZAN KOSE / AFP

The quake tore off the building's walls "like sheets of paper", the survivor said.

Erdogan has responded to the anger by arguing that no one could have been prepared to deal with Turkey's "worst disaster in history".

But the waves of arrests and investigations represent a marked change in attitude towards an industry that has helped transform Turkey's underdeveloped regions while enjoying a profitable boom.
Denials

Six months passed before Turkey arrested the first suspect in the wake of another disastrous quake in 1999.

More than 17,000 people died in the country's northwestern regions near Istanbul at the time.

Officials eventually opened 2,100 investigations against developers of collapsed buildings. They did not lead to much.

A general amnesty in December 2000 saw 1,800 of those cases dropped.

The courts found fault in only 110 cases. Most of those found guilty ended up benefiting from a statute of limitation that entered into force in 2007.

The Ronesans project's developer has also pleaded innocence.

"I do not know why the building collapse," Mehmet Yasar Coskun said.

"All the permits were issued after studies by the municipality and the oversight company."

A local mayor who issued the building permit in 2021 denied responsibility as well.

"A private company conducted the control procedure," Seyfettin Yeral told the T24 news site. "We do not have employees who can do such work."

California standards?

Turkey has adopted a series of buildings standards and regulations modelled on those of California.

But these have been regularly revised -- the last time in 2018.

The United Nations warned that the final death toll may approach 50,000 across Turkey and Syria 

© OZAN KOSE / AFP

Engineers and architects interviewed by AFP said most of Turkey's builders manage to work their way around existing codes.

"On paper, the standards are respected, with contracts awarded to private companies responsible for controlling them," Istanbul architect Aykut Koksal said.

But Koksal stressed that developers often strike private deals with companies in charge of conducting the inspections.

He said this dilutes enforcement and gives developer much leeway to cut costs.

© 2023 AFP

Turkey arrests building contractors six days after earthquakes

A family sit next to a collapsed building in Antakya as they wait for the bodies of their relatives to be recovered from under the rubble (Bernat Armangue/AP)

 
 
 
 
 
 

Justin Spike and Suzan Fraser, Associated Press

12 February, 2023 10:05

Syrians gather at a shelter in Antakya, south-eastern Turkey (Hussein Malla/AP)

As rescuers continued to pull a lucky few from the rubble six days after a pair of earthquakes devastated south-east Turkey and northern Syria, Turkish officials detained or issued arrest warrants for some 130 people allegedly involved in the construction of buildings that collapsed and crushed their occupants.

The death toll from Monday’s quakes stood at 28,191 on Sunday morning, with more than 80,000 others injured, and is certain to rise.

As despair also bred rage at the agonisingly slow rescue efforts, the focus turned to who is to blame for not better preparing people in the earthquake-prone region which includes an area of Syria that was already suffering from years of civil war.

Even though Turkey has, on paper, construction codes that meet current earthquake-engineering standards, they are rarely enforced, explaining why thousands of buildings slumped on to their side or pancaked downwards on to residents.

An aerial photo of Antakya shows the scale of destruction and devastation caused by two powerful earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and neighbouring Syria (Serdar Ozsoy/Depo Photos/AP)

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said late on Saturday that warrants have been issued for the detention of 131 people suspected to being responsible for collapsed buildings.

Turkey’s justice minister has vowed to punish anyone responsible, and prosecutors have begun gathering samples of buildings for evidence on materials used in constructions.

The quakes were powerful, but victims, experts and people across Turkey are blaming bad construction for multiplying the devastation.

On Sunday, authorities in the province of Gaziantep arrested two people who are suspected of having cut down columns to make extra room in a building that collapsed, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

A day earlier, Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced the planned establishment of “Earthquake Crimes Investigation” bureaux.

The bureaux would aim to identify contractors and others responsible for building works, gather evidence, instruct experts including architects, geologists and engineers, and check building permits and occupation permits.

Syrians gather at a shelter in Antakya, south-eastern Turkey (Hussein Malla/AP)

A building contractor was detained by authorities at Istanbul airport on Friday before he could board a flight out of the country.

He was the contractor of a luxury 12-storey building in the historic city of Antakya, in Hatay province, the collapse of which left an untold number of dead.

The detentions could help direct public anger toward builders and contractors, deflecting attention away from local and state officials who allowed the apparently sub-standard constructions to go ahead.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, already burdened by an economic downturn and high inflation, faces parliamentary and presidential elections in May.

Survivors, many of whom lost loved ones, have also turned their frustration and anger on authorities.

Rescue crews have been overwhelmed by the widespread damage which has affected roads and airports, making it even more difficult to race against the clock.

Mr Erdogan acknowledged earlier in the week that the initial response has been hampered by the extensive damage.

He said the worst-affected area is 310 miles (500km) in diameter and was home to 13.5 million people.

During a tour of quake-damaged cities on Saturday, he said a disaster on this scale is rare, and again referred to it as the “disaster of the century”.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to a survivor during a visit to Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey (Turkish Presidency/AP)

Rescuers, including crews from other countries, continued to search the rubble in the hope of finding additional survivors who could yet beat increasingly long odds.

Thermal cameras were used to probe the piles of concrete and metal, while rescuers demanded silence so they could hear the voices of the trapped.

A six-year-old boy was removed from the debris of his home in Adiyaman city on Sunday, 151 hours after the quake.

The rescue was broadcast live by HaberTurk television, showing the child wrapped in a space blanket and put into an ambulance.

An exhausted rescuer removed his surgical mask and took deep breaths as a group of women could be heard crying with joy.

Turkey’s health minister, Fahrettin Koca, posted a video of a young girl in a navy blue jumper who was rescued.

“Good news at the 150th hour. Rescued a little while ago by crews. There is always hope!” he tweeted.

The efforts of a team of Italian and Turkish rescuers also paid off when they removed a 35-year-old man from the wreckage in the hard-hit city of Antakya.

Mustafa Sarigul appeared to be unscathed as he was carried on a stretcher to an ambulance, 149 hours after the first quakes, private NTV television reported.

Overnight, a child was also freed in the town of Nizip, in Gaziantep, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, while a 32-year woman, was rescued from the ruins of an eight-storey building in the city of Antakya. The woman, a teacher named Meltem, asked for tea as soon as she emerged, according to NTV.

In Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre of the first 7.8 quake that struck early on Monday morning, efforts were under way to reach a survivor detected by sniffer dogs beneath a now-flattened seven-storey building, NTV reported.

However, those found alive remain the rare exception.

A family sit next to a collapsed building in Antakya as they wait for the bodies of their relatives to be recovered from under the rubble (Bernat Armangue/AP)

A large makeshift graveyard was under construction in Antakya’s outskirts on Saturday.

Diggers and bulldozers dug pits in the field as trucks and ambulances loaded with black body bags arrived continuously.

The hundreds of graves, spaced no more than 3ft (1m) apart, were marked with simple wooden planks set vertically in the ground.

The picture is less clear of the plight across the border in Syria.

The death toll in Syria’s north-western rebel-held region has reached 2,166, according to the rescue worker group the White Helmets.

The overall death toll in Syria stood at 3,553 on Saturday, though the 1,387 deaths reported for government-held parts of the country has not been updated for days.

Turkey has issued over 100 building arrest warrants after the deadly earthquake

February 12, 2023
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Emergency teams search for people in the rubble of a destroyed building in Adana, southern Turkey, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. For Syrians and Ukrainians fleeing the violence back home, the earthquake that struck in Turkey and Syria is but the latest tragedy.Hussein Malla/AP

ANTAKYA, Turkey — As rescuers still pulled a lucky few from the rubble six days after a pair of earthquakes devastated southeast Turkey and northern Syria, Turkish officials detained or issued arrest warrants for some 130 people allegedly involved in the construction of buildings that toppled down and crushed their occupants.

The death toll from Monday's quakes stood at 28,191 — with another 80,000-plus injured — as of Sunday morning and was certain to rise as bodies kept emerging.

As despair also bred rage at the agonizingly slow rescue efforts, the focus turned to who was to blame for not better preparing people in the earthquake-prone region that includes an area of Syria that was already suffering from years of civil war.

Even though Turkey has, on paper, construction codes that meet current earthquake-engineering standards, they are too rarely enforced, explaining why thousands of buildings slumped onto their side or pancaked downward onto residents.

CULTURE
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak reflects on the earthquake in Turkey

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said late on Saturday that warrants have been issued for the detention of 131 people suspected to being responsible for collapsed buildings.

Turkey's justice minister has vowed to punish anyone responsible, and prosecutors have begun gathering samples of buildings for evidence on materials used in constructions. The quakes were powerful, but victims, experts and people across Turkey are blaming bad construction for multiplying the devastation.

Authorities arrested two people in the province of Gaziantep on Sunday who are suspected of having cut down columns to make extra room in a building that collapsed, the state-run Anadolu Agency said.

A day earlier, Turkey's Justice Ministry announced the planned establishment of "Earthquake Crimes Investigation" bureaus. The bureaus would aim to identify contractors and others responsible for building works, gather evidence, instruct experts including architects, geologists and engineers, and check building permits and occupation permits.

A building contractor was detained by authorities on Friday at Istanbul airport before he could board a flight out of the country. He was the contractor of a luxury 12-story building in the historic city of Antakya, in Hatay province, the collapse of which left an untold number of dead.

The detentions could help direct public anger toward builders and contractors, deflecting attention away from local and state officials who allowed the apparently sub-standard constructions to go ahead. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, already burdened by an economic downturn and high inflation, faces parliamentary and presidential elections in May.

Survivors, many of whom lost loved ones, have turned their frustration and anger also at authorities. Rescue crews have been overwhelmed by the widespread damage which has impacted roads and airports, making it even more difficult to race against the clock.

Erdogan acknowledged earlier in the week that the initial response has been hampered by the extensive damage. He said the worst-affected area was 500 kilometers (310 miles) in diameter and was home to 13.5 million people in Turkey. During a tour of quake-damaged cities Saturday, Erdogan said a disaster of this scope was rare, and again referred to it as the "disaster of the century."

Rescuers, including crews from other countries, continued to probe the rubble in hope of finding additional survivors who could yet beat the increasingly long odds. Thermal cameras were used to probe the piles of concrete and metal, while rescuers demanded silence so that they could hear the voices of the trapped.

A 6-year-old boy was removed from the debris of his home in Adiyaman city on Sunday, 151 hours after the quake. The rescue was broadcast live by HaberTurk television, showing the child wrapped in a space blanket and put into an ambulance. An exhausted rescuer removed his surgical mask and took deep breaths as a group of women could be heard crying in joy.

Turkey's health minister, Fahrettin Koca, posted a video of a young girl in a navy blue jumper who was rescued. "Good news at the 150th hour. Rescued a little while ago by crews. There is always hope!" he tweeted.

The efforts of a team of Italian and Turkish rescuers also paid off when they removed a 35-year-old man from the wreckage in the hard-hit city of Antakya. The man, Mustafa Sarigul, appeared to be unscathed as he was being transported on a stretcher to an ambulance, 149 hours after the first quakes, private NTV television reported.

Overnight, a child was also freed in the town of Nizip, in Gaziantep, state-run Anadolu Agency reported, while a 32-year woman, was rescued from the ruins of a eight-story building in the city of Antakya. The woman, a teacher named Meltem, asked for tea as soon as she emerged, according to NTV.

In Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter of the first 7.8 quake that struck early Monday morning, efforts were underway to reach a survivor detected by sniffer dogs beneath a now-pancaked seven-story building, NTV reported.

Those found alive, however, remained the rare exception.

A large makeshift graveyard was under construction in Antakya's outskirts on Saturday. Backhoes and bulldozers dug pits in the field as trucks and ambulances loaded with black body bags arrived continuously. The hundreds of graves, spaced no more than 3 feet (a meter) apart, were marked with simple wooden planks set vertically in the ground.

The picture is less clear of the plight across the border in Syria.

The death toll in Syria's northwestern rebel-held region has reached 2,166, according to the rescue worker group the White Helmets. The overall death toll in Syria stood at 3,553 on Saturday, though the 1,387 deaths reported for government-held parts of the country hadn't been updated in days.

Karasu: Society should rely on itself, not on the state

KCK Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu accused the Turkish state of having established only sham institutions for disaster management, stating that society must rely on itself and not on the state.

ANF
BEHDINAN
Thursday, 9 Feb 2023, 12:00

The number of victims of the earthquakes in Northern Kurdistan, Rojava, Syria and Turkey continues to rise. While thousands have already been reported dead, countless people are still trapped. There is little hope left for most of them. Meanwhile, the AKP/MHP regime has declared a state of emergency and is trying to use the relief efforts in its political interest. 

Mustafa Karasu from the Executive Council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) issued a statement on the earthquake and the resulting situation.

"THE TURKISH STATE IS TRYING TO HIDE ITS OWN FAILURE"

Karasu first wished the injured a speedy recovery and offered his condolences to the families of the victims in Turkey and Kurdistan. He accused the Turkish state of continuing to conceal the extent of the disaster and said: "It was indeed a very severe earthquake. The losses are great. There has probably not been an earthquake like this in Kurdistan and Turkey for centuries. The authorities are trying to gloss over the scale of the earthquake. The death toll is underreported. Of course, we too want there to be fewer deaths and less destruction. But we need to reveal the facts so that society and humanity can develop a stronger solidarity. Tens of thousands have lost their lives. There are just as many injured. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed. To hide this reality is to whitewash the scale of the earthquake. It weakens serious actions that need to be taken because of the earthquake. Doing something like this to avoid panicking people is wrong. In fact, the Turkish state is trying to hide the truth about itself in this way. The Turkish government is trying to hide its responsibility in this disaster. It is trying to hide the fact that it has not taken measures against destruction caused by earthquakes. We strongly condemn this action." Karasu underlined that the AKP/MHP regime is thus trying to ease its own situation. He called on people not to be deceived by the regime and to mobilise help at all levels.

"AFAD ITSELF COLLAPSED IN THIS EARTHQUAKE"

At the same time, Karasu criticised the lack of aid in the region and accused the disaster management agency AFAD of being only a "sham institution". He continued: "The destruction is huge. But the governmental organisation called AFAD is not able to provide enough help. AFAD itself collapsed in this earthquake. It turned out that AFAD is just a show organisation. If there had been a small earthquake, AFAD might have been able to show that the agency was doing something, that it was doing its job. But now more than ten provinces, including cities in Turkey, but especially in Kurdistan, have been destroyed in this earthquake. Thousands of villages have been destroyed and devastated. AFAD, of course, is not in a position to respond to this. It lacks the organisation to do so. This state does not provide funds for it and does not invest in building such organisations. The regime is only concerned with making its own clientele, its supporters, rich. There were no provisions at all. After the 1999 earthquake, the earthquake tax was introduced, and ten billion dollars were collected. With this tax, AFAD could have been better built. The municipalities could have been better equipped in this regard and then disaster response would have been possible in such a situation.

It is not easy to help with such disasters from a distance. The municipalities should be strongly organised in this respect at the local level. Because they can intervene immediately in case of a disaster. But AFAD was set up just for show and has now collapsed. AFAD has no presence anywhere. Maybe some people have been sent to one or two provinces. Is that enough? How are they going to reach ten provinces, hundreds of towns and thousands of villages? AFAD is not in a position to do so, either organisationally or at the level of its resources.

"THE STATE ITSELF IS BURIED UNDER THE EARTHQUAKE"

The state itself has been buried under the earthquake, it has collapsed. The state is responsible for the deaths. Because people are saying on TV that there are no forces from AFAD there, no help is being organised. What will happen? Aid will come in three or four days. Help will come from all over the world. But the important thing is that local rescue teams are mobilised right now."

Karasu criticized the fact that the revenue from the earthquake tax was embezzled and distributed among the regime's supporters, saying, "They supposedly built roads or other things with the money. This is a crime. The money was confiscated under the law for precautions against the consequences of earthquakes. It is a crime to take money for something else. Quite apart from the legal issue, it is a moral crime."

"STATE INSTITUTIONS CANNOT OVERCOME SUCH DISASTERS"

Instead of relying on the failing state, society itself should build solidarity, said Karasu and continued: "Such disasters and calamities are overcome by the solidarity of society. State institutions cannot overcome them. Throughout history, people have overcome such earthquakes and disasters through the solidarity of neighbourhoods and their surroundings. Now there is a centralised state. Some fake institutions have been created. When the disaster happened, these collapsed. The state is helpless in the face of such disasters. This is obvious."

Karasu accused the state of also hindering social solidarity, saying that civil society transport of tents, blankets and relief goods to the crisis areas is repeatedly stopped. Despite its failure, the state is trying to concentrate the aid on itself in order to capitalise on it, said Karasu, and accused the state of claiming that its own resources in disaster management were sufficient. The state, he said, branded anyone who asked for help abroad as a traitor. “Now, however, the state has had to open its doors to the international community because it is helpless itself. The nationalist propaganda has now collapsed.”

"SOLIDARITY AND ORGANISATION OF SOCIETY IS CRUCIAL"

Karasu continued: "The solidarity and organisation of society is the crucial thing. Society finds a real solution. We have to understand that. The potential of society lies in healing all kinds of wounds. The people of Kurdistan are organised and conscious. They are taking action themselves against the consequences of the disaster. We should not expect too much from the state. The state was not established for society, it is a structure to exploit society, to oppress it. The Turkish state in particular is an authoritarian, fascist system. It is a war regime. Some of the earthquake money was spent on road construction, some was spent on war.. The state boasts of its military might, its drones and its means of war. But in an earthquake, it cannot save the people. It cannot heal their wounds."

"SOCIETY SHOULD ORGANISE ITS OWN SOLIDARITY STRUCTURES"

Karasu warned of the low temperatures, sometimes below -15 degrees: "The first few days are crucial. The weather is very cold at the moment. But everywhere we look, they say the aid from AFAD or other agencies has not arrived. At most, it's for show. AFAD goes to one or two buildings in a city and does salvage work. What about the other buildings? Hundreds of apartment blocks collapsed. Maraş, Elbistan, Afşin, Narli, Göksun, Malatya, Adıyaman and the surrounding villages were all destroyed. Most of the old houses collapsed. So, who will do the rescuing here? The organisation of society is attacked, solidarity is prevented and criminalised, but the state itself nevertheless does nothing. This cannot be so. Against this background, instead of complaining and without waiting for the state, society should organise its own solidarity structures everywhere. We say this to show the reality of the state."

"SOLIDARITY WITHOUT DISTINCTION NECESSARY"

Regarding the damage and deaths in Northern Kurdistan, Rojava, Syria and Turkey, Karasu said: "Our people should be in solidarity everywhere, in North Kurdistan, in Syria, in Rojava. Without differentiating between Arabs, Turks, Kurds and Syriacs, the Kurdish people should help and stand by all disaster victims."

"DIASPORA FROM AREAS WEST OF THE EUPHRATES MUST SHOW RESPONSIBILITY"

Talking about his own experience in the region, Karasu said: "I know the area very well. I know the landscape and the way the houses are built. I know how impassable and cold the region is in winter. In the past, vehicles could not drive to our villages for six months. They could only be reached by sledges. And now the destruction in Afşin, Elbistan, Pazarcık, Narli and their surroundings, in places like Doğanşehir, Akçadağ and Adıyaman, is really huge. Yes, there was also destruction in Urfa and Amed (Diyarbakır), but the destruction is greater west of the Euphrates. Therefore, I think that our people's solidarity with the people living in these areas at the epicentre should be especially great and that these areas must be rebuilt. Many people from Pazarcık, Elbistan and Afşin who live in Europe can support the reconstruction. A large part of our people in south-western Kurdistan emigrated to Europe after the Maraş massacre [1978]. Some of them also live in the big cities. They did not show solidarity immediately. Today, they should heal the wounds and rebuild the destroyed villages. They should make the region a place to live again. They have this responsibility."

"NO ONE SHOULD BE LEFT HUNGRY AND UNPROTECTED"

Karasu stated: "There are no relief workers in the villages, there is no solidarity. Only between the neighbouring villages has there been some solidarity. Now everyone is in a bad situation. Everyone has to deal with the disaster themselves. Of course, the neighbouring villages, the well-preserved and the less destroyed villages should help the others. There are already appeals. All civil society organisations and democratic forces in Turkey are calling for this. We have also done it. People should, if they have the opportunity, take in those who have been affected by the earthquake. No one should be left hungry and unprotected. Everyone should share their food. Everyone should share everything. And of course, from places where there are no earthquakes, from Marmara, the Aegean, from everywhere help must flow to the areas. Aid should also come from the Black Sea."

Karasu called for support for the reconstruction of the region, saying: "The Kurdish people and the peoples of Turkey should set an example of solidarity as one. Fraternity becomes evident at such moments. It is in such moments that the importance of living together is shown, it is in such moments that humanity is shown."

1. Murder of the Dead by Amadeo Bordiga 1951

   https://www.marxists.org/archive/bordiga/works/1951/murder.htm

   Murder of the Dead. First Published: Battaglia Comunista No. 24 1951; Source: Antagonism's Bordiga archive; HTML Mark-up: Andy Blunden 2003. In Italy, we have long experience of “catastrophes that strike the country” and we also have a certain specialisation in “staging” them. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, rainstorms ...

Internationalist Commune of Rojava: A natural disaster, inseparable from its political implications

The Internationalist Commune of Rojava issued a statement on the earthquake in Kurdistan, Syria and Turkey.

ANF
NEWS DESK
Thursday, 9 Feb 2023

The Internationalist Commune of Rojava said in a statement on the earthquake in Kurdistan, Syria and Turkey that "the natural disaster is inseparable from its political implications."

The statement said: "From the Internationalist Commune of Rojava we are extremely touched by the tragedy of this earthquake. Our thoughts are with all the families who have been hit hard, whatever their origin. Where we are, we have felt the earth shake, but without the dramatic consequences that other regions are experiencing. If borders mark lines that are sometimes unbridgeable, the connection between people is not. Here, in the north-east of Syria/Western Kurdistan (Rojava), there are thousands of people who have a strong relationship with others elsewhere in the country, but also especially with the people of southern Turkey/Northern Kurdistan (Bakûr).

We believe that emotions should not make us forget to take a political look at the situation. What is happening today is not a natural event disconnected from the way society is organised, with nationalist and racist fault lines dividing peoples, with a capitalist economy that favours profit over well-being, with nation-state policies guided by short-termism and electoralism. Many voices are being raised at the moment to appeal to feelings of solidarity, to universalist values. We support these appeals, but we do not accept putting aside the socio-political context in which these events are taking place. Past, present and future responsibilities cannot be erased under the guise of a humanist vision that has never existed in the eyes of political regimes in the nation-states of the region and the rest of the world. The mainstream media is rightly moved by the situation, but the same media was silent not long ago about the suffering of these same people and will probably be silent again in a few weeks."

The statement continued as follows:

Geographical and political context

"The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that took place during the night of February 5-6 has already claimed more than 12,000 victims and, unfortunately, this number is likely to increase significantly in the coming hours. The most affected regions are mainly Kurdish populated areas on both sides of the Turkish-Syrian border. Historically neglected and oppressed by Ankara (such as in Maraş), under Turkish and Islamist extremist occupation in northern Syria (such as in Afrin), having experienced Assad’s brutal repression (such as in Aleppo) or currently living under Turkish bombing (such as in Tel Rifaat). In addition, there are thousands of refugees who have fled the numerous fights that have destabilized the region for decades. This catastrophe is therefore all the more acute as the populations have been experiencing economic and political difficulties for a long time.

The current majority media treatment is another glaring example of the invisibilization of the Kurdish people. Few media outlets have taken the trouble to point out which peoples live in the affected regions. The idea is not at all to make this natural disaster identity-based, as nature does not make cultural distinctions, but rather to keep it linked to a human and historical reality which alone allows us to really understand the ordeals that people are going through. A real solidarity can only exist by taking into consideration the ins and outs of this reality.

Anything but a surprise and much more than a natural disaster

This earthquake is far from being the first to hit the region. The region is at the crossroads of three tectonic plates, which makes it a place prone to earthquakes (for example, Turkey has experienced no less than 230 earthquakes exceeding a magnitude of 6 during the twentieth century, 12 of them exceeding a thousand victims). Historically, there have been many disasters, the most recent of which was in 1999 and resulted in almost 20,000 deaths. Being aware of this reality allows us to realize that the current regime has done everything but carry out a preventive policy in this matter, despite the important European aid provided for adapted urban plans. For years now, specialists in seismology have been warning about the imminent risk of dangerous plate movements without the government reacting.

This is all the more scandalous when one knows the close links that unite the AKP party and Erdogan himself with the construction sector, as well as the more pharaonic projects that have been carried out since his accession to power. The cases of corruption are innumerable (both in terms of public/private contracts and the use of poor quality materials and non-compliance with standards), opponents of these projects and journalists who have tried to shed light on these cases are languishing in prison by the dozen. The Gezi Park protests in Istanbul are an example that involved large sectors opposed to urban gentrification, mega-projects and environmental destruction. They illustrate the damage of an economic policy focused on increasing consumption and centralizing urbanization that does not take into account popular aspirations and creates a social divide.

In the Syrian regions, the destabilization and the after-effects of years of war are still very much alive. The regime in Damascus, with different international allies than Ankara, has nonetheless proven, over the last decade, to be ready to do anything to stay in power. If the Rojava autonomy experiment is tolerated, it is only because of the strength, determination and sacrifice it has shown.

Aid ineffectiveness and repression of subversive voices

As illustrated by countless testimonies (shared through social media and contrary to the Turkish government propaganda, many areas are abandoned to their fate. In many places (such as Gaziantep), no aid had arrived in the crucial 12 hours following the earthquake. The ineffectiveness of the aid provided is partly structural, voluntary and due to the geopolitical context. Today, on Turkish social networks, the number of comments calling for a lack of interest in the death of Kurdish people, including young children, is chilling. The Turkish government has already issued clear threats that any criticism of the measures taken would be considered a form of treason and would be suppressed (a hotline has been set up to report such ‘subversive’ acts). The criminalization of the opposition, which has been going on for years, will only be increased by a desperate regime that reinforces a discourse of so-called unity that is in reality an exacerbated authoritarianism: ‘if you criticize, you are against us and therefore against the nation’. A few hours ago, Twitter was simply closed in Turkey.

In Syria, among the areas most affected are the ones under Turkish occupation and in the hands of Islamist mercenaries. This implies local disorganization and an increased difficulty sending aid. The AANES has announced that it wants to provide aid to the areas adjacent to those it administers, while the Assad regime wants to monopolize international aid. The embargo situation in Rojava is an element that is all the more felt in these moments. The Turkish army does not seem to have decided to observe any truce despite the disaster. The region of Tel Rifaat, hit by the earthquake, for example, was bombed again last night (Tuesday, February 7).

Instrumentalization and invisibilization versus self-organization and internationalism

The priority is, of course, emergency relief. However, it is already necessary to be attentive to the way in which this catastrophe will be used for the upcoming elections (next May) but also to see what lessons will be drawn from it. When such a disaster occurs, the wounds and needs do not disappear along with the media attention. Lives and homes are destroyed. Reconstruction is a long-term process that goes beyond concrete alone but should involve prevention and building local capacity to respond to such earthquakes.

It is likely that Erdogan and Assad are already making plans to try to take advantage of this in one way or another (such as the increased criminalization of opposition parties, like the HDP). It is likely that this will be done in line with a national unity that is only a facade to preserve their power at the expense of the people’s interests. The first signs suggest that this will unfortunately not have a calming effect on the war and repressive aims of regimes that can only hold on because of it. If today’s situation requires a rapid and unilateral reaction, this spontaneous solidarity must not be diluted as quickly as it is manifested, leaving free rein to policies that have had catastrophic effects on the lives of the majority of the populations now so severely affected.

We believe that this earthquake is symptomatic in many ways of the deleterious effects of the paradigm of the nation-state, which is the enemy of local autonomy and decentralized self-organization, of a capitalism that never seeks the long-term well-being of the people but feeds on crises and conflicts. The region that is so badly affected today is also the place where an authentically democratic political model has been tenaciously built for a decade. This model is a threat to the powers that be, which is why it is being attacked from all sides.

Today, as the Autonomous Administration does, we want solidarity to be expressed everywhere and in a concrete way. Tomorrow, when the emotion will have subsided and the cameras will have moved away, we hope that the women and men who live in this region of the world will not be forgotten. This depends on each one of us, this is the essence of the internationalism that inhabits us and knows no borders. To help now to alleviate the emergency is indispensable, to weave authentic bonds of internationalist solidarity for the future is vital."

People in Northern and Eastern Syria protest International Conspiracy

The International Conspiracy that led to the capture of Kurdish people's Leader Abdullah Öcalan was protested in the cities of Northern and Eastern Syria.

ANF
NEW DESK
Sunday, 12 Feb 2023

The 24th anniversary of the International Conspiracy against Kurdish people's Leader Abdullah Öcalan was protested with actions in Hesekê, Reqa, Deir ez-Zor and Tabqa in Northern and Eastern Syria.

HESEKÊ

Refugees from Serêkaniyê living in Wasûkanî Camp in Hesekê condemned the isolation and the International Conspiracy which led to the capture of Kurdish people's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

People marched with banners that read "Leader Öcalan's freedom is the key to peace in the Middle East" and held a rally. Emine Mihemed, a member of the Washukani Camp Council, condemned the international silence against the isolation imposed on the Kurdish people’s leader and said: "Our actions will continue until the freedom of Öcalan is achieved."

RAQQA

A march and rally were held in Raqqa promoted by civil organizations. Photos of Abdullah Öcalan and the flags of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were carried during the march that started in front of the General Assembly.

A statement was read to underlined that “Abdullah Öcalan's ideas directly affected the Syrian peoples, who organized based on the idea of national democracy and the brotherhood of peoples and established their own autonomous and civil administrations.”

DEIR EZ-ZOR

A protest was held in the west of Deir ez-Zor. During the march and rally, Martyr Families Assembly Youth member Muhemed El Hisên said that "Leader Abdullah Öcalan's resistance in Imrali prison is the strongest message to the enemy." He continued, "The freedom of Leader Öcalan is our freedom. We are ready to die for his freedom. Thanks to Leader Abdullah Öcalan's ideas and philosophy, the blood shared by the martyrs, the resistance carried out by the youth and the sacrifices of the guerrillas, the enemy's attacks on the region were repelled."

TABQA

The action in Tabqa was organized by civil society organizations. The action called on the UN, humanitarian and legal organizations to fulfil their duties end take action to to end the isolation and ensure the physical freedom of the Kurdish people's Leader.

SYRIAN KURDISTAN/ROJAVA/ALPPEO

Turkey continues attacks against guerrillas despite earthquake and unilateral ceasefire

The Turkish army continues to attack the guerrillas in Southern Kurdistan despite the earthquake disaster. More Turkish attacks against guerrilla areas were recorded on Friday.

ANF
BEHDINAN
Saturday, 11 Feb 2023,

Even catastrophes like the devastating series of earthquakes in the country cannot dissuade the Turkish state from maintaining its anti-Kurdish stance. Despite a catastrophe of apocalyptic proportions with tens of thousands of dead and injured, the Turkish army continues its warlike aggression against the Kurdish guerrillas unabated - although the latter have suspended their military activities due to the earthquake.

The Press Center of the People's Defence Forces (HPG) reported continued heavy bombardments against guerrilla positions in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) on Friday.

According to the HPG statement, the initial attacks in the morning targeted positions in the vicinity of Çemço in the Zap region. Not only did unconventional bombs hit the area, but also shots fired from howitzers. "Our forces responded to the shelling on the basis of legitimate self-defence," stated the HPG, and one member of the occupation forces was killed. In the evening, an attack helicopter was targeted by the guerrillas during an attack flight. The aircraft was hit and forced to turn around.

The HPG also reported that the Turkish air force launched three air strikes on Friday against the Girê Cûdî massif, which is also located in the Zap. The surrounding area of the village of Sîda, which borders the guerrilla area of Çemço, was bombarded with artillery from Turkish outposts. In addition, the HPG stated that a fighter has succumbed to his serious injuries, which he had sustained during an attack by Turkish occupation forces in Çemço last Thursday. The full identity of the fallen guerrilla fighter will be released at a later date, HPG added.

HSM vows to follow the KCK’s call for ceasefire due to earthquake

HSM expressed support for the KCK's call for an immediate ceasefire due to the earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border area, stating that the guerrillas are ready to contribute to alleviating the suffering of the population.

ANF
BEHDINAN
Saturday, 11 Feb 2023

The Central Headquarters of the People's Defence Forces (HSM) expressed its support for the call of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) for an immediate ceasefire due to the earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border area. The guerrillas are ready to support the KCK in its efforts to stop the fighting and thus contribute to alleviating the suffering of the affected population, said a statement by the HSM sent to ANF.

The KCK, the umbrella organisation of the Kurdish movement, to which the PKK also belongs, had called for a cessation of military action in Kurdistan on Friday night. Cemil Bayık, co-chairman of the KCK Executive Council, stated that it was necessary to prevent people from experiencing even more suffering in this affliction. Bayık emphasised, however, that the attitude of the Turkish state would be of central importance in the implementation of this decision.

"Monday's devastating earthquake with epicentre in Pazarcık is a great disaster. It has caused great damage and our people have suffered many victims. Tens of thousands of people from the Kurdish, Turkish and Arab populations have lost their lives and tens of thousands are still waiting to be rescued from the rubble. We deeply share the pain of our peoples. We wish peace for the dead and extend our condolences to their families and loved ones. To the injured, we wish a speedy recovery.

We understand it as a humanitarian, conscientious and moral duty to ease the pain of our peoples and heal their wounds. The best approach will be to alleviate and overcome the difficulties of these days through unity and solidarity. We also want to support this. Therefore, all members of our defence forces as well as patriotic institutions should rush to the aid of the people and mobilise help. Especially the rural areas and villages, which are neglected anyway and are cut off from any help even now, need urgent support. This is undoubtedly the most important humanitarian and patriotic task at this time. On this basis, we agree with the call of comrade Cemil Bayık in the name of KCK Executive Council and declare that his demands will be met in practice.

In this context, our call is to all associations of guerrillas, fighting groups and self-defence units: all action plans and corresponding activities in the cities and metropolises must be stopped immediately. No military action should be taken in the rural areas either, as long as there are no attacks by Turkish armed forces on our members. This instruction is valid until revoked and it is an essential duty for all legitimate defence forces to strictly follow it.

It is well known that the AKP/MHP regime has been putting all of Turkey's resources into war for years as part of its genocidal policy in Kurdistan and spending huge amounts in its attacks against our forces and the institutions of our people. This country is ruled by a regime whose members enrich themselves personally in various ways. There is no investment in the lives and security of the people and no expenditure on infrastructure. The result of this policy is suffering for all the peoples of Turkey. The scale of the earthquakes is catastrophic. In order to alleviate the suffering of the people, social solidarity and help from below is needed. In this framework, we respectfully declare that we will fulfil our responsibilities in accordance with the decisions and perspectives of the political will of our people and our revolution."