More than 30 members of the European Parliament from the Left, Green, and Social Democratic parties have submitted a motion regarding the EU’s future stance on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The background is the dissolution of the party and its decision to renounce armed resistance and continue the political struggle by peaceful means.
The motion was officially submitted to EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell on November 21. It calls for a statement from the EU on whether the removal of the PKK from the so-called EU terror list is being considered—similar to the treatment of the Colombian guerrilla group FARC after its disarmament.
Reference to the FARC case
In the motion, the members of parliament—including Özlem Demirel, Martin Schirdewan, and Andreas Schieder—refer to the EU Council’s decision in 2017 to remove the Colombian FARC from the list of terrorist organizations after the official end of its armed struggle. They argue that a similar approach must now be discussed in the case of the PKK.
The parliamentarians ask under what conditions and at what point in time the EU’s foreign policy intends to submit a proposal to the European Council to remove the PKK from the list of “terrorist” organizations.
Peace process in Turkey
In addition to the legal classification of the PKK, the motion also addresses the role of the EU in a possible new peace process in Turkey. Members of Parliament are requesting information on the specific steps the EU plans to take to actively support an inclusive and sustainable dialogue between the Kurdish freedom movement led by Abdullah Öcalan and the Turkish state.
According to the signatories, the PKK’s signal to renounce arms in favor of a democratic solution to the Kurdish question is “a significant opportunity for regional peace.” This makes the response of the EU institutions, which could contribute significantly to the further course of events, all the more crucial. The EU Commission has not yet responded to the parliamentary question.