Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti met a delegation from the French Democratic Kurdish Council (CDK-F).

“First of all, we held this meeting to ensure our unwavering support to all Kurds,” the minister said at a press conference with Kurdish representatives.

Moretti: France is mourning

The Minister said: “I am thinking of the families and relatives of the victims. France is in mourning. I wanted to highlight the difference between a treacherous racist crime and a terrorist act. The difference between them is whether they adhere to an assumed political ideology. Admittedly, I cannot put myself in the shoes of the judicial authorities. The law forbids me to comment on a pending case. But the Ministry of Justice is also the guarantor of the law. That's why I wanted to meet with representatives of the Kurdish community. I also recalled that the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office and the Paris Prosecutor's Office are in constant contact. The characterization of violations is within the jurisdiction of the judicial authorities only. This definition may change depending on the factors that will be revealed by the investigations and investigations. Again, I would like to remind you that the penalties it will bring are the same.”

Speaking about why the attacker was released on 12 December despite being detained for his previous crimes, the Minister said: “It is about the implementation of judicial rules. In a great democracy like ours, we cannot compromise on the rule of law. This is what makes us a state of law."

The Minister thanked the security forces, firefighters and Kurdish citizens who helped neutralize the attacker.

Finally, the Minister added that they have jointly created a long-term support plan with Kurdish associations so that the victims can get through this terrible crime.

Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation for a "judicial incident"

After the attack in which three Kurdish activists were murdered, the Paris prosecutor's office launched an investigation for a "judicial incident" within the scope of "racist murders and attempted murder" instead of a "terrorist attack".

Melenchon: This is a terrorist attack

Kurds and left-wing political party representatives reacted sharply to the killings being investigated as a "racist attack". Former Presidential candidate and leader of the La France Insoummise party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said in his speech at the march in Paris: "There is no coincidence here," and stated that the attack was an "assassination".

Linking the murder of three Kurdish women revolutionaries in Paris 10 years ago with the massacre on 23 December, Melenchon said: "This is a terrorist act and we want the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation."

CDK-F spokesperson Agit Polat said: "It is unacceptable to exclude the terrorist nature of the attack in the investigation and to try to convince us that a right-wing extremist committed this terrible attack in our center."