Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the Unbowed France (La France Insoumise) movement, met with the international press at a conference titled “The New International Game – Gaining Insight for the International Press.” In his speech, Mélenchon strongly condemned the attacks against the Kurdish people.
Recalling that the Kurds were among the West’s most important allies in the fight against ISIS, Mélenchon described the silence of those same powers in the face of the Kurds’ massacre today as a “historic disgrace.” He said, “Today we are witnessing a terrible moment. Those who used the Kurds in the war against ISIS, those who were happy to see them as allies, are now remaining silent while the Kurds are being massacred. We cannot continue to be mere spectators to this.”
Emphasizing that the Unbowed France movement has built strong ties with the Kurdish people, Mélenchon recalled that MPs Mathilde Panot and Daniel Obono traveled to Rojava via Iraq and Southern Kurdistan and established direct contact with Kurdish forces. After these contacts, he said, they developed a lasting friendship and a shared practice of struggle with the Kurdish movement. “We see them as our brothers and sisters in struggle. Whenever they ask, we stand by them and take part in all mobilizations,” he said.
In his speech, Mélenchon stressed that the Kurdistan question must now be addressed openly, noting that borders in the Middle East are already being reshaped in practice. He stated that developments in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey make this discussion unavoidable. “The map is already in pieces. So why should the Kurdistan question not be discussed? The Kurds’ right to self-determination and the possibility of having their own nation-state must now be seriously considered,” he said.
Noting that the idea of Kurdistan directly concerns five countries and that these states have so far been opposed to it, Mélenchon emphasized that this should not prevent the debate. “Should this issue never be discussed just because it concerns so many countries? No. On the contrary, we must now conduct this discussion openly,” he concluded.