In her press release in the European Parliament (EP), Italian parliamentarian Barbara Spinelli stated that the designation of the PKK as a ‘terrorist organization’ had political motivations.

Italian parliamentarian Barbara Spinelli spoke during the press release that was held as part of the campaign in the European Parliamentarian for the removal of the PKK from the European Union’s (EU) list of ‘terrorist organizations.’

The petition campaign demanding the removal of the PKK, a crucial actor in the democratic and peaceful solution of the Kurdish issue, from the EU’s list of terrorist organizations continues to draw attention. A press release was held yesterday at the EP where 114 parliamentarians have signed the petition so far.

Marie Christine, the Co-President of the EP Kurdish Friendship Group who organized the press release, and the Socialist Party in Portugal’s parliamentarian Ana Maria could not attend the meeting due to their poor health conditions. Instead, Italian parliamentarian Barbara Spinelli and Cypriot Parliamentarian Costas Mavrides spoke during the press release.

In her speech, Spinelli stated that the designation of the PKK as a ‘terrorist organization’ had political motivations. Spinelli underlined the Turkish state’s obsession with Kurdish people and current savagery in Kurdistan, and said that the search for justice was independent of time and space.

Spinelli said that Kurds were the main force fighting against ISIS in the Middle East, and Turkey was currently attacking these Kurdish forces. EP parliamentarians answered the questions of journalists after their speeches. In response to a journalist who reminded the blast in Ankara, Cypriot parliamentarian Costas Mavrides stated that the Turkish President Erdoğan could do anything to prove himself right, including killing his own citizens. Mavrides recalled that the US does not view YPG as a terrorist organization, and stated that the Turkish state was trying to create the grounds for its bombardment of Rojava.

In response to a question suggesting that the majority of Turkish citizens were against the PKK, Italian parliamentarian Barbara Spinelli said that the majority of Italians supported Musollini but worked with revolutionary forces soon afterwards. Spinelli said that a similar situation could be seen in the case of IRA in Ireland, and the situation in Turkey was no different.

In response to a question about how European countries such as Germany and France would stop supporting the savagery of Erdoğan, Cypriot parliamentarian Mavrides stated that Erdoğan was threatening European ministers with the refugee crisis. Mavrides said that given the geopolitical significance of the region, Europeans should support peoples like the Kurds as opposed to the regime in Turkey. Mavrides added that supporting Kurdish people would both save more lives and be consistent with the Republican values of Europe.

Lastly, Spinelli stated that Russia and the US came to an agreement regarding Rojava, and Turkey could get more savage because it is cornered and its policies have failed.