There has been a new development regarding the murders of three Kurdish women revolutionaries in Paris in January 2013. The French government has partially lifted restrictions on the publication of intelligence reports.

Following a request by lawyers for intelligence documents in September 2014, the judge said Ömer Güney’s activities might have a link to the Turkish intelligence organisation, MIT.

According to an article in Le Monde newspaper, the investigation has cast suspicion on the Turkish intelligence services, adding that French diplomatic sources say Ankara will not be happy that secret documents will no longer be secret.

Le Monde noted that 39 documents from the Internal Security organisation, DGSI, had been redacted, while 7 documents from the External Security organisation, DGSE, had also been redacted.  

Lawyers applied to PM Valls    

Antoine Comte, a lawyer for the families, applied to French Prime Minister Manuel Valls at the beginning of March, asking for access to more documents in order for the case to move forward.

Antoine Comte said: "The silence of France to these crimes means foreign states have impunity to carry out murders on French soil, and we would be crazy to believe it won’t happen again.”

Comte previously made a request for access to documents regarding the genocide in Ruanda.

Le Monde summed up developments in the murders of Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez.

The newspaper recalled that murder suspect Ömer Güne infiltrated Kurdish associations in Paris a year before the murders, and had visited Turkey on countless occasions in 2012. The newspaper also mentioned the existence of audio tapes.

According to Le Monde, for the French justice system to cast suspicion on Turkey is a sensitive matter for the French state. The newspaper said Turkey’s extreme sensitivity regarding the Kurdish question meant Ankara would not be pleased with progress being made to solve these murders.

Le Monde added that since 2011 there has been tension between the two countries regarding cooperation in the combatting of fundamentalist organisations.  

The newspaper revealed that one of the documents released contained a reaction from MIT to accusations against it, claiming efforts were being made to damage its reputation while it was playing a key role in the process of resolution.

Have the French authorities halted investigations of the PKK?

The newspaper said that a visit by French Interior Minister to Turkey a year ago had improved relations between the two countries. The newspaper also claimed that an official at the Interior Ministry had said the French authorities were no longer carrying out investigations into the PKK.

Investigation into the murders will be completed before summer

Le Monde said this halting of investigations indicated a change in the approach to Kurdish activists, drawing attention to an expression used regarding the Kurds at a court hearing on 24 March. At the court in Paris emphasis was laid on: “the need to take into account the fact that the PKK is now fighting ISIS.”

Judicial sources add that the investigation into the Paris murders will be completed before summer.