BRUSSELS – 3 million signatures gathered internationally to remove the PKK from the European Union’s “terrorist organizations list” were handed over to the European Commission. The signatures collected at the call of the International Justice Initiative for the Kurds were presented to the European Commission by the Belgian Peace Movement (Vrede), the Progressive International and the Netherlands-based art organization New World Summit on behalf of the initiative.
A press release was held in Schuman Square before the signatures were taken to the Commission. During the statement, slogans saluting Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, political prisoners and guerrilla resistance were frequently shouted. KCDK-E Co-Chair Yüksel Koç, KNK Foreign Relations Committee Spokesperson Nilüfer Koç, and European Left Party President Dr. Walter Baier also attended.
‘PKK IS THE WILL OF THE KURDISH PEOPLE’
While asking for the PKK to be removed from the “list of terrorist organizations”, Koç said, “This campaign is important for the Kurdish people and for the future of the Middle East.” Koç stated that the Turkish state carried out genocidal attacks in Kurdistan.
Drawing attention to the black lists of the EU and the USA, Koç said, “The Turkish state takes this power from the list.” Koç emphasized that as KCDK-E, they will continue their struggle in every field until the PKK is removed from the list.
‘PKK SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIST BECAUSE IT IS NOT A TERRORIST’
President of the European Left Party, Dr. Walter Baier, giving a message of solidarity with the Kurdish people, noted that 3 million signatures were collected and the PKK should be removed from the list.
“The reason why the PKK should be removed from the list is simple, because the PKK is not a terrorist organization, it is the party of the Kurdish people,” Baier said.
‘PKK IS WHO SAVE THE ZIDIS’
Daniel Koop from the Progressive International also reminded that a few days ago, the German Parliament recognized the Yazidi genocide. Koop stated that it was forgotten that it was the PKK that saved the Êzidî people from genocide and underlined that peace negotiations would only be possible with the PKK.
“The Peace Movement clearly supports the delisting of the PKK,” said Ludo de Brabander of Vrede. “The time has come for the European Commission to hear the request for PKK delisting,” Brabander added.
After the speeches, a delegation presented a document to the European Commission showing that 3 million signatures were notarized.
WORLD-KNOWN NAMES HAVE ALSO SIGNED
A global petition was launched on 13 December 2021, under the leadership of the ‘International Justice for Kurds Initiative’, to remove the PKK from the list of terrorist organizations of the US and the Council of the European Union.
On the day the campaign was announced, a thousand people from 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa had called.
These include Cinematographer Ken Loach, Pakistani Professor of Nuclear Physics and political defense analyst Prof. Pervez Hoodbhoy, US Writer Lucina Kathmann, Hungarian Philosopher GM Tamás and French ex-presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon were also present.
The same campaign had started on January 29, 2022 with the participation of many intellectuals, politicians, activists and artists in Southern Kurdistan.
