The European Parliament - Kurds Friendship Group has condemned the violence used by Turkish authorities against Kurdish Nawroz celebrations in Turkey.
Marie-Christine Vergiat and Jürgen Klute from the Group of European United Left said: "The Turkish government responded with unprecedented violence to these popular peaceful celebrations."

They referred to the death of Haci Zengin, head of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) for the borough of Arnavutköy in Istanbul, who died after being hit in the head by a tear gas canister. Many other civilians were seriously injured.

According to Vergiat and Klute, among those in hospital are two members of the BDP, Mulkiye Birtane and Ahmet Turk. Vergiat and Klute recently met Birtane in France.

Another MP, Ertugul Kurkcu, was beaten by police in Mersin. Several hundred people were remanded in custody.

Vergiat and Klute added: "The European Union must break its silence and denounce the excesses of the Turkish authorities.

"Confronted with gross violations of human rights, the Kurds and all those who support them need now, more than ever before, the support of all democrats, and all women and men fighting for the respect of human rights.

"Faced with this wall of silence, many Kurds across Europe have begun a hunger strike to protest against this growing oppression. We cannot let their desperate call go unanswered."

The European Parliament - Kurds Friendship Group is composed of several Members of the European Parliament from a number of EU Member States and different political groups.








AKnews