International support for PKK: The real terrorist is the Turkish state

On the occasion of the PKK’s 43rd founding anniversary, the French publication La Marseillaise published an appeal signed by 120 personalities as a result of the French committee’s work to remove the PKK from the list of terrorist organizations. Among the signatories are MPs, trade unionists, journalists, intellectuals, and campaigners. The call was addressed to the President of the United States.

The comments regarding the appeal are as follows:

‘HYPOCRITICAL ATTITUDE’

Jeremy Bacchi (French Communist Party Regional Senator for Bouches Du Rhône): “It is not acceptable to have a hypocritical mentality. Actually, a hypocritical attitude is to back Kurdish movements in their fight against DAESH and dark forces, as many Western countries have done for years, and then to abandon Kurdish movements after the war against DAESH was won. They thereafter started to regard their allies as enemies and terrorists. It is utterly untenable and demonstrates the Western nations’ fear of Turkey, particularly France. This is a very risky and upsetting situation. The Kurdish people’s brave resistance has been saluted throughout Europe and the world. It amazes, enrages, and irritates me to see that support vanish once it is over.”

Francois Liberti (Former Sète Mayor): “I believe that continuing to categorize the PKK as a terrorist group is entirely improper since it is a significant way of suppressing democratic discourse in this country. It is extremely dangerous, and also explains all of the repression, arrests, pressures, crackdowns, and tortures.”

‘NO PEACE WITHOUT KURDS’

David Tessier (Aix-en-Provence Regional Secretary of the SNES-FSU Union): “The Kurdish question is critical for maintaining balance and peace in the Mediterranean and around the world. Kurds can be found in a variety of countries, most notably Turkey. The Kurds in Turkey demand self-government and recognition of their cultural and national identities. With the approval of a portion of the world society, the Turkish state actually terrorizes the Kurds. This appeal is a moral requirement as well as a political need. Peace in that region cannot be achieved without the participation of Kurds and the PKK.”

Josiane Durrieu (PCF 13): “There is no reason for the PKK to be on this list. Its militants have never been terrorists, they have never attacked the people. We were able to destroy DAESH in Syria and Northern Iraq as a result of their efforts. Thousands of young men and women gave their lives for freedom, democracy, and for us. DAESH would have grown over the Middle East if it hadn’t been for them. The PKK should be removed from this list, and Erdogan should no longer target HDP members and elected officials.”

Gilles Piazzoli (Regional Secretary General of UL-CGT Union Draguignan): “They are our comrades. It is the party of the Kurds. It is a society that defends gender equality and democracy, values ​​that are dear to us.”

Olivier Mateu (UD General Secretary- CGT Union 13): “We’ve been standing with the Kurds for many years. There are numerous reasons for this, the most important of which are those done to the Kurdish people by Erdogan and the major imperial powers. The Kurds are targeted by these regimes because they have a social project that is obviously opposed to the global capitalist and imperialist systems. Placing the PKK on a terrorist organization list prevents a political solution in the interests of that region’s rights. At the same time, we want the massacres to come to an end. For these reasons, we, along with others, stand with the Kurds.”