On Monday, the Kurdish community in Düsseldorf launched a series of vigils against the Turkish army's use of chemical weapons in South Kurdistan. The protest will be carried out until Thursday with a daily sit-in on the Landtagswiese and in front of the “Bergischer Löwe” statue. The actions is organised by the Federation of the Liberal Society of Mesopotamia in NRW e.V. (FED-MED). The vigils will take place from 1 to 5 pm. In addition, a NRW-wide demonstration will be held on Saturday, 13 November.

The latest occupation offensive by the Turkish army in South Kurdistan has been ongoing since April 23. In addition to the widespread bombing of guerrilla areas and civilian settlements, chemical weapons are also used in this cross-border operation. At least 38 fighters in South Kurdistan have died from poison gas since the beginning of the year.

"These allegations were corroborated by video recordings by the People's Defense Forces (HPG) and independent, non-governmental organizations on site have reported on the use of chemical weapons," said Engin Sever, co-chairman of FED-MED. “Our protest is directed not only against the illegal attacks by Turkey, but also against the international silence about them. We see the Federal Republic of Germany as responsible because, as Turkey's closest economic partner, it would have a wide range of opportunities to exert its influence and exert pressure on Turkey.”

Criticism of inaction by international organizations

Turkey has signed both the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention. These agreements prohibit the development, manufacture, storage and use of chemical weapons and oblige to the destruction of existing chemical weapons stocks. With the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), an independent structure was created to monitor compliance with and implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. "But despite the incriminating findings against the Turkish army, no steps have been taken by the OPCW or other international actors," denounces FED-MED. "With our actions in Düsseldorf we want to protest both against the attacks by Turkey and against the inaction of the international organizations and the attitude of the German government," said Sever.