The population and especially the youth in Northern Kurdistan are the focus of special war. The spread of drug use is also part of this special war. Security forces and para-state groups are deeply involved in the drug trade and promote drug use in various regions.

The province of Van (Wan), which is on the opium/heroin route from Afghanistan, is particularly affected by this policy. But people are resisting this attempt to depoliticize and destroy young people.

In the Xaçort (Hacı Bekir) district of Van, the DEM Party Youth Council organized a rally under the slogan “Stop the special war in Kurdistan”. People gathered behind a banner reading “We stand guard to protect and defend our neighbourhoods.”

“Drugs are openly offered on almost every street”

Youth Council representatives read a statement in Turkish and Kurdish. The statement said: “Van is a focus of special warfare policy. Drugs are openly offered on almost every street. They want young people to fall into dependency. It is clear that, in the current phase, our entire people and especially the Kurdish youth have become the target of the special war policy.”

“Our fight against special war is a fight against isolation”

The activists drew a connection between the special war in Kurdistan and the isolation in Imrali and continued: “The attacks on the young people in the city have the same background as the total isolation against Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. For this reason, it should be clear that every word we say against special war and everything we do in this context is also aimed at breaking isolation. We know very well that once we can break the isolation on Imrali, the people in the district will be freed from the influence of special warfare policy. We will act with this awareness, overcome the isolation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and defend our neighbourhoods.”

The activists called for people to oppose the special war policy.