This article was posted on Bestanews on February 16, 2016.
Protesters at the press conference at Shuman Square on February 16, 2016.
102 members of the European Parliament have launched a signature campaign calling on the European Union to remove the PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party) from the list of terrorist organizations. Two parliamentarians supporting the campaign attended a press conference outside the European Commission in the Belgium capital Brussels on Tuesday (February 16). HDP Bitlis deputy Mizgîn Irgat and Siirt co-mayor Tuncel Bakırhan who were in Europe for diplomatic talks for 2 days, were also present.
Speaking here, co-chair the EP-Kurdish Friendship Group, Marie Christine Vergiat pointed out that the ongoing dirty war in North Kurdistan is mainly waged in areas where AKP received almost no votes, describing the aggression as a kind of AKP government’s punishment to those who didn’t vote for it.
Vergiat said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan violated another red line by launching an attack on Rojava, and he continuously took advantage of the ongoing ban on PKK as a terrorist organisation. Describing the PKK ban as a totally political one, Vergiat noted that they will continue to make efforts for the removal of the PKK from the terrorist list. She emphasised that the GUE/NGL (European United Left – Nordic Green Left – European Parliamentary Group) will always be standing by the Kurdish people.
Speaking after, Italian parliamentarian Barbara Spinelli voiced solidarity with the Kurdish people, Rojava people and academics for peace in Turkey. Condemning the European states for remaining silent on the Turkish government’s genocidal practices and cooperating with it, Spinelli remarked that the Turkish government threatened the whole world peace. “Peace talks can only be held with the rebels, and it is the PKK.”
Also commenting on Geneva talks, Spinelli said it was foolish of the EU and Western countries to not invite Kurds who are the only force fighting ISIS. The Italian parliamentarian warned that Europe would commit a moral and political suicide in the event of bowing to the strategy of hysterical Erdoğan regime.
