Theresa May gives backing to President Erdogan and Turkey’s war on the Kurds

Contact Details: 11 Portland Gardens, Fairfax Hall, Londond, N4 1HU. Phone: 0208 8880 1804

Contact Details: 11 Portland Gardens Fairfax Hall, Londond, N4 1HU kurdscentre@gmail.com 0208 8880 1804

KURDISH PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY

During Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to Britain, the British Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her support for Turkey and said that Erdogan was seeking to defend his country from ‘the extraordinary pressures of a failed coup and Kurdish terrorism’. This designation of ‘Kurdish terrorism’ is exactly the formulation that Erdogan uses to legitimise the Turkish states’ war on the Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. This is a designation that we utterly and categorically condemn. The Kurds far from being terrorists have been Britain’s staunch allies against the scourge of the terrorism of ISIS, providing the boots on the ground in the Middle East and paying a heavy personal price for the freedom of us all . The Metropolitan Police has however brought Turkey’s war to the streets of London, using police dogs and horses to threaten people and arrest some 16 or so people in Whitehall, who were protesting at Erdogan’s visit to Downing Street. Kurds, and their supporters, in Britain are being criminalised as they are in Turkey. Continue reading “Theresa May gives backing to President Erdogan and Turkey’s war on the Kurds”

UK delegation to observe most important Turkey election in a generation

PEACE IN KURDISTAN CAMPAIGN: PRESS RELEASE

29 October 2015

Activists and academics from the UK will travel to Turkey today to observe the coming elections, set to take place this Sunday following months of shocking state violence across the mainly Kurdish southeast and political intimidation and harassment across the country.

Continue reading “UK delegation to observe most important Turkey election in a generation”

“5 minutes to election: What happened during 20 days of PKK inaction in Turkey?”

The Kurdistan Communities of Women (KJK) has published a new information file called 5 minutes to election: What happened during 20 days of PKK inaction in Turkey? which provides a useful summary of events in Kurdistan since the PKK declared a unilateral ceasefire on 10 October. The report details an alarming number of state-sponsored attacks on the AKP’s political opposition, including curfews in Kurdish districts, raids on HDP offices and military strikes against the PKK.

The report begins with this statement below and is available to download in full here (pdf).

Continue reading ““5 minutes to election: What happened during 20 days of PKK inaction in Turkey?””

UNISON sends letter of solidarity to KESK and DISK unions

Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public service union UNISON, has written a letter of condolence to the organising unions of last Saturday’s peace rally, in which over 100 people died following two bomb blasts. Addressed to Ismail Hakki Tombul, general secretary of the Confederation of Public Workers’ Unions (KESK) , and Kani Beko, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions (DISK), the letter reads:

Monday, 12 October, 2015

Dear Comrades,

On behalf of UNISON I send our deepest condolences on the tragic loss of so many of your members’ lives at the Labour, Peace and Democracy Rally in Ankara on Saturday. We send our heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the victims, and our hopes for a full recovery for all those injured in the attack.

UNISON condemns this brutal attack on trade unionists who were campaigning in support of peace, democracy and workers’ rights, and against the increasing violence and repression that the people of Turkey are suffering. We support the call for a full, transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances of the attack and its aftermath. Continue reading “UNISON sends letter of solidarity to KESK and DISK unions”

EUTCC calls for renewed focus on peace talks after election

The EUTCC has released a statement following the election:

8 June, 2015

Press release: for immediate release 

HDP – THE WINNER OF THE 7 JUNE ELECTION IN TURKEY

The Turkish people have spoken in an honest and democratic election, so it is now time to implement what they want. All parties must compromise and take some major steps to solve the KURDISH problem in Turkey among others by resuming the peace process between the government and the imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. Continue reading “EUTCC calls for renewed focus on peace talks after election”