Villo Sigurdsson: “PKK is a freedom movement”

Villo Sigurdsson stated that the PKK will be referred to as an armed freedom movement, similar to the ANC in South Africa and the BOPA in Denmark, and that Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan should be released unconditionally.

Former Copenhagen Mayor Villo Sigurdsson is among the first of the original signatories among the thousands of intellectuals, journalists, writers, and politicians who have signed a petition calling for the PKK to be removed from the “terror list.” 

Villo Sigurdsson, a Danish national born in Tehran in 1944, declared that the PKK is a freedom movement and stated, “The PKK will be referred to as an armed freedom movement. Similarly to the ANC in South Africa and BOPA in Denmark during WWII.”

Sigurdsson went on to say that the confrontation between the PKK and the Turkish army has nothing to do with terrorism: “According to military analysts, the conflict is a regular war, and the norms of international war should be observed in the conflict. The PKK is on the list primarily because Turkey is a NATO member. However, the Turkish regime forced the United States and the European Union to classify the PKK as a terrorist organization. Turkey is a member of NATO. The West requires an alliance with Turkey to counter its adversaries in Russia and the Middle East.

THE MOST IMPORTANT CONDITION FOR PEACE IS THE PKK’S EXCLUSION FROM THE LIST

Villo Sigurdsson, founder of Solidarisk Alternative and board member of Socialdemokratiet and Venstresocialisterne, pointed out that the PKK is not considered a “terrorist” in Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, Canada, or Mexico, and that Turkey, the United States, and the European Union are the only countries that consider the PKK to be a “terrorist organization.”

Noting that the removal of the PKK from the “terror list” is one of the most important prerequisites for Middle Eastern peace, Sigurdsson also addressed the illegal and arbitrary practices faced by Kurds as a result of the PKK ban, saying: “As long as the United States, the European Union, and Turkey designate the PKK as terrorist, the Kurdish struggle for democracy and human rights will persist. Negotiations for peace should take place, and the PKK, like all other political parties, must be welcomed as a participant in political life. As a result, international organizations and politicians must work for the PKK’s cause.”

Sigurdsson drew attention to the isolation imposed on Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, saying that it must cease. He stated that international organizations and governments should work together against isolation, and that Öcalan should be released unconditionally.