More than 100 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have launched a petition campaign for the removal of the Kurdistan Workers' Party from the EU list of terrorist groups, An Phoblacht said on February 18.
The PKK began an armed campaign for Kurdish liberation against the Turkish state in 1984, although it had been in a peace process until the Turkish government unilaterally ended talks and restarted the conflict last year.
In their appeal, the MEPs stressed that achieving a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey was threatened by escalating violence. They said this posed severe risks to the stability of Turkey, as well as the Middle East.
An Phoblacht reported that a petition spokesperson said: “In Turkey we are more and more facing an outbreak of violence which pushes back the idea of a peace process and weakens the fight against Daesh.”
The appeal said: “The European Union – represented by the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy but also the European Council – the UN and the USA have already called for peace in Turkey.
“In this context, it is a fact that the proscription of the PKK is standing in the way of the establishment of peace, dialogue and negotiations. The PKK's proscription also facilitates the infringements of human rights, allows the curtailing of freedom of thought and freedom of the press.
“Kurds are an important part of the political struggles in the Middle East (as proven by the Kobanê resistance) and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey is not possible without negotiations with the PKK, which, we underline, former Prime Minister and current President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan did already accept.
“Similar to the situation in Northern Ireland, a peaceful solution will be reached involving all concerned parties.”
Signatories to the statement include Gabi Zimmer, a member of German left group Die Linke and president of European United Left-Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL, which unites many left groups in the European parliament). Others include the four MEPs from Irish republican party Sinn Fein and MEPs from the Green Party of England and Wales, the Scottish National Party and the Republican Left of Catalonia.
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