Seven political parties who met on the 26th February in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss about the creation of a democratic front has released a joint statement on Tuesday on the war in Ukraine.

The parties include the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), who made the call for the meeting, the Labour Party (EMEP), the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), the Labour Movement Party (EHP), the Social Freedom Party (TÖP), the Federation of Socialist Assemblies and People’s Houses.

The joint statement which called for ‘peace against war’ warned that the world is faced with the threat of a new great war even as it is in the process of recovery from the destruction that the pandemics caused.

The statement said:

“The capitalist system is not concerned with the welfare of humanity. It is likely to open the gates, for the interests of energy and arms monopolies, to a new war that will pitch people against each other in a fierce fight. This is actually what’s behind the war and invasion that followed the rising tensions in the Donbass between Ukraine and Russia. We are not a party of the expansionist policies, the policies that defy peoples’ will, of Russia, or NATO, led by the United States. We reject the unjust wars and the calls for recruiting people to become parties in such wars. We are the party of peace. We are on the same side with the people who have stood against war all over the world.”

The statement urged the Turkish administration not to be party in a conflict that was likely to trigger a ‘third world war’.

“We warn the administration of the AKP [Justice and Development Party] who has been acting aggressively in recent years against neighbouring peoples and who has been in armed conflict with them,” it continued. “Turkey can not be recruited to the war camp of neither NATO nor Russia.”

The statement called upon warring parties in Ukraine to cease armed conflict, and the forces of the invasion to draw back, adding:

“The instructions issued by the parties of the war show that they have actually reached a level of insanity even to have their nuclear weapons ready for use. Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Vietnam and Halabja are the historical scenes of such brutality. We will not be silent in the face of such threats.”