ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) on Thursday said that bringing down the Turkish flag on the Turkey-Syria border during the recent protests was an act of “provocation” and “part of a conspiracy” to incite hostility against Kurds and Kurdish organizations.

During the recent protests against the ongoing attacks on Rojava (northeast Syria) by Damascus-affiliated factions at the Turkey-Syria border in the Nusaybin region, a man was recorded taking down the Turkish flag positioned at the border crossing, drawing widespread criticism among Turkish authorities.

KCK, the political umbrella group of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), said in a statement that “The lowering of the flag of the Republic of Turkey on the Turkey-Syria border is a provocation” to divert attention from the “invasion attacks and the elimination of Kurds” in Rojava.

The statement also claimed that the act was set to “sabotage” the ongoing peace process between the PKK and Turkey, set in motion when the group approved the disarmament call by its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan in February.

Official statements from Turkish authorities and media coverage of the incident have inflamed “hostility towards the Kurds,” hindering the implementation of the peace process, KCK argued.

Following the removal of the flag, Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) was “directly targeted,” which “shows that this provocation was or is being carried out as part of a conspiracy,” it added.

The group clarified its position as condemning all attacks on flags and other national values. “Therefore, after this flag provocation, targeting our movement, the DEM Party, and the Kurds shows that this was done intentionally.”

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said that he holds DEM Party “primarily responsible for the lowering of the Turkish flag” in a Wednesday speech to the Turkish parliament.

Similarly, AK Party Spokesperson Omer Celik said that the “clearest and strongest response” will be given to the “vile attack on our glorious flag by supporters of the [Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces] SDF terrorist organization.”

The protest at the border town of Nusaybin border was called for by the DEM Party, with hundreds of demonstrators marching towards the border post attempting to cross into Rojava, leading to a confrontation with the security.

The Syrian Arab Army has waged a violent campaign on SDF-held areas since early January, with Damascus-linked factions rapidly advancing toward Rojava territory despite several fragile ceasefires being agreed, the latest of which was announced by the Syrian defense ministry Tuesday evening, granting the Kurdish-led forces four days to integrate into the state.