Activists block Turkish Airlines counter at Basel Airport

About a dozen activists from the Kurdish and internationalist spectrum have protested against Turkey’s war of aggression in the southern part of Kurdistan (Iraq) with a counter blockade at Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport. In the afternoon, passengers were prevented from checking in at several counters of the Turkish Airlines and loudly informed about war crimes and human rights violations of the Turkish army in Kurdistan. Participating in the action in the Swiss-French airport on Alsace soil were members from the local chapter of the #RiseUp4Rojava campaign and the Kurdish Revolutionary Youth Movement (Tevgera Cîwanên Şoreşger, TCŞ).

The activists justified the blockade with the involvement of the tourism industry with the Turkish regime and its war activities. Tourism is one of the largest sources of revenue for Turkey, which is pumped into the bloody war against the Kurdish population. Turkish Airlines is a partially state-owned airline and is closely tied to the AKP leadership. Anyone who flies with this airline is directly financing the NATO partner’s actions against the Kurds, which are contrary to international law, a call to passengers said. The activists involved repeatedly chanted slogans such as “Turkish army out of Kurdistan,” “Long live international solidarity” and “Bijî Berxwedana Gerîla” (Long live the guerrilla resistance).

The blockade was ended by the protesters after a heated discussion with the airport administration. They were escorted out of the airport by the French military and police. The activists announced that they would continue their civil disobedience actions.

[album=14747]