Brussels, 12/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 11 December, the International Peace and Reconciliation Process Initiative (IPRI), backed by the European Parliament's Confederal Group of the European United Left (GUE), called for the EU to withdraw the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from its list of terrorist organisations, so as to give support to the peace process between Turkey and the Kurds.
“Failure of the peace process is not an option. But this means that all that those who can contribute to making it succeed do what has to be done”, said IPRI mission member and former leader of the GUE Group at the European Parliament, Francis Wurtz. “A radical and immediate measure from the EU would be to withdraw the PKK, which would give it a legitimacy and weight in the discussions with the Turkish government”, he said. In Wurtz's view, when the coalition supports the Kurdish fighters against Islamic State (IS), “the EU would look ridiculous in keeping the organisation on its black list. The green light to obtaining the change would be symbolic but very important for the international legitimacy of the PKK”. For GUE leader Gabi Zimmer, taking the PKK off the list of terrorist organisations would be a sign of support for the peace process. The Council reviews the list of terrorist organisations twice a year. The last review took place in July.
Wurtz added that the EU should urge Turkey to talk to the Kurds and to take action for a roadmap for the short-, medium- and long-term in order to have “a credible perspective so that a move forwards can be made from talks to true negotiations”. He said that this would also happen through improving the detention conditions of one of the PKK founders, Abdullah Ocalan, and releasing him, because “a prisoner can't negotiate”.
“The legal and democratic standards in Turkey need to be improved to guarantee fundamental freedoms and better operation of the democratic institutions that are important for the peace process, and to guarantee that peace is truly kept between the communities”, said civil society activist and IPRI mission member Osman Kavala.
While for South African judge Essa Moosa, who is also an IPRI mission member, it is “unlikely there will be progress” in the process before the deadline of the parliamentary elections in June 2015, in Wurtz's opinion if the Turkish authorities do not take any measures or make any progress, the peace process will be “dead”. (CG)