Ishak Sağlam also made important observations on the United States' threats against Iraqi Administration and the BDS movement that works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians.

Trump's statements on Syrian oil

Reminding that the U.S. President Donald Trump said in a statement in recent days that US left troops in Syria 'only for the oil', Sağlam said: "The intervention of the United States, which has expedited its occupation and looting activities since the invasion of Afghanistan with the promise of innovation, democracy and freedom, has deepened the existing chaos in Syria and put oilfields of the country under the U.S control. These statements by Donald Trump have quashed theses that the purpose of U.S. oil policy in Syria is to prevent oil fields from falling into the hands of malevolent groups. The military interventions, which carried out with the promise of democracy, continues with the looting of Natural Resources and aims at securing U.S. oil companies to conduct looting activity in the region."

The U.S. military bases in all countries, which pave the way for plundering the natural resources of the countries as well as humanitarian loss and instability, should be closed and the grounds on which the intervention is based should be eliminated through peaceful negotiation. Otherwise, this threat, which started with Afghanistan and Iraq and caused permanent instability in these countries, will not end with the invasion and pillage of Syria, but the other countries in the region will subject to it.

The United States' threats against Iraqi Administration

Underlining that the Iraqi Parliament voted to demand the withdrawal of U.S. following the killing of Iranian General Qaseem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, Sağlam said: "However, the US has threatened to block access to the Federal Bank of New York, which holds Iraq's central bank reserves, if the Iraqi administration forces to withdraw its troops. Given the protests that have taken place in Iraq since September, citing economic troubles and left hundreds people dead, it appears that the United States is targeting a civil war in Iraq with this threat. Because salaries and tender fees are paid from the account where Baghdad keeps oil revenues that feed 90 percent of the national budget, blocking access to it means collapse of economy. In 2015, the United States, which had blocked Iraq's access to the account for various reasons, thus increased its military presence in the country and carried out many operations contrary to international law."

Sağlam underlined that the United States uses its currency and its economic power as a weapon in order to design the policy of other countries, for that purpose, it imposes sanctions against many countries on the world.

"By threating Iraq through this bank, the U.S. has once again demonstrated its thuggery. Global bandit sends a message to the world that it would confiscate even the legitimate and official income of the countries who pose a threat to its interests. In order to confront the United States' illegal steps and its hegemony, an independent military, economic and political reform process should be started in the Islamic World, especially in Iraq," he added.

Restrictions on BDS movement

Speaking on BDS movement, which works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law, Sağlam said: " As a result of active promotion activities as well as calls from BDS movement that has been launched in order to increase economic and political pressure on the occupation regime, many countries ended their relationship with the occupation regime and restricted cultural activities that are performed in the occupied lands. The movement also has taken well received from the international community. The criminalization of this initiative by some countries means complicity in the occupation regime crimes by providing economic support to them. The steps taken by the United States and European countries against this movement, which dealt an economic blow to the occupation regime, are aimed at saving the economy of the occupation regime and preventing the international community from raising awareness about its illegal activities. With each past year at the request of the occupation regime, pressures on the BDS movement are increasing and steps are taken to criminalize its peaceful activities. BDS movement, which acts with the aim of solidarity with the Palestinian people against the illegal and inhuman activities of the occupation regime, should be embraced and supported by the international community and the states in solidarity with Palestine." 

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.Israel is occupying and colonizing Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law.BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world. Since its launch in 2005, BDS is having a major impact and is effectively challenging international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.

ILKHA