Turkish Politician Says Government is Supporting ISIS

The Turkish political party representing the country's Kurdish minority blamed the Turkish government and its support for the Islamic State for the group's renewed offensive against the town of Kobane, which was secured by Kurdish militias after months of fighting.

The New York Times reports that the Kurdish HDP party blamed the AKP-ruled government in a statement by the HDP's co-leader, Figen Yuksekdag. He reportedly said the "Turkish government has supported ISIS for years."

He was most likely referring to several incidents in 2013 and 2014 when police stopped trucks carrying ammunition and supplies into Syria and it turned out that the trucks were being sent to ISIS controlled territory by members of the Turkish CIA, which is known as the MiT.

The renewed offensive Yuksekdag was referring to involved suicide and car bombings, one of which killed at least 15 people and injured another 70.

Kobane was only secured after months of devastating fighting between the Kurds and ISIS. The Kurds could have very well lost the battle if it were not for the concentration of coalition airstrikes, led by the United States.

Adding to Kurdish ire regarding Kobane at the time, the Turkish government refused to allow fighters and supplies cross into the city from Turkey at the battle's crescendo. This led to demonstrations and riots throughout southeast Turkey, where the Kurds are concentrated.

In June's elections, the HDP was key to denying President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions of rewriting the Turkish constitution with a presidential system that would have been unchecked by parliament or the courts.  

The country's political parties are now in the midst of trying to form a coalition government after the AKP failed to win enough seats to rule unilaterally. If Yuksekdag's comments are any indication, it seems unlikely that the HDP will join the AKP in such an agreement.