Brussels, 12/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 12 January, Kurdish representatives called on the European Union for involvement in the peace process between Turkey and the Kurds.
“It's important that Turkey return to the negotiating table and that the EU take a new role at the negotiating table, because Turkey's problems affect the EU”, the representative of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) in Europe, Eyyup Doru, said at a press conference at the European Parliament. HDP deputy and former mayor of Diyarbakir, Osman Baydemir, also said it was important that there be a third party, an intermediary, in the peace negotiations in Turkey. In his view, if the process that started in 2012 and that has now been put on hold had been accompanied by a third party, the current situation would not have been the same.
The EU has repeatedly called for the resumption of the peace process, without ever mentioning, however, that it was ready to have some type of role in the discussions.
The Kurdish representatives also spoke at the European Parliament to denounce the “massacre of the Kurds” by the Turkish army, and the curfew set up in the country against 1.5 million people. Baydemir said this was “a real block” against the Kurds. The Turkish government is fighting against the members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - a party which is recognised as a terrorist organisation by the EU. The Turkish authorities conducted operations against the PKK in Silopi, Cizre and the historic area of Diyarbakir last December. Civilians also fell victim to the fighting.
Baydemir stated that it was important for the EU to call for an end to the “massacres”. In his view, his country is on the brink of civil war. “We can't just remain as onlookers” he added. He called on the EU to respond, deeming the actions of the Turkish authorities to be out of line with European values. He also said that the weapons being used on the ground were of European origin. He did not want the crimes to go without impunity, be this at national or international level. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)