The Congress of Democratic Communities from Kurdistan in Europe (KCDK-E) released a statement commenting on Saturday's protests against the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army. The association welcomes the participation of tens of thousands of people in the demonstrations in Europe as an "uprising against genocide" and states the following:

"In Düsseldorf, Marseille and many other cities, people from Kurdistan and their friends showed their attitude and determination very clearly with their messages, slogans and speeches at the demonstrations on 12 November. This unanimous message of tens of thousands of people must be understood.

Tens of thousands have declared that they consider the freedom guerrillas resisting the genocide of the Turkish state as their honour and their future. They poured into the streets with the awareness that the attack on the guerrillas is directed against all of Kurdistan and against all of us.

Tens of thousands of people said: The resistance of the freedom guerrillas is our resistance. We are more determined and organised than ever in the struggle against the Turkish state, which cannot break the resistance of the Kurdish people despite all the dirty methods and the use of chemical weapons. We will continue this struggle for freedom and equality uninterruptedly until we have won.

Tens of thousands said: We do not accept the attitude of collaboration with the enemy, which puts self-interest above the interests of the Kurdish people and encourages and enables the enemy to carry out massacres in Kurdistan. We know that the resistance against this is a national task.

As Kurds, we have shown once again that with national unity and a common struggle, we have the strength and awareness to get our own status. We have made it clear once again that the struggle of the people of Kurdistan can make this century a century of freedom for the whole region and that the only honourable stance is to stand behind this struggle. We have repeated that collaboration means serving the enemy.

With the demonstrations, the message of the people of Kurdistan to the international institutions and powers has been conveyed very openly and clearly: Silence on the attacks of the Turkish state means endorsement and support of the massacres in Kurdistan.

In particular, the OPCW and other international institutions have been called upon to abandon their attitude of denying their own reason for existence and trampling on the values of humanity in the face of chemical weapons use against the guerrillas. The demonstrators have vowed to continue their democratic activities without interruption until these institutions fulfil their duties and obligations as stipulated in international law. The use of chemical weapons must be investigated and stopped on the ground.

This message of tens of thousands of people must be properly understood by all sides. The Kurdistan policy must be revised, the silence and support for the massacres in Kurdistan must end.

As KCDK-E we thank all those who took part in the impressive demonstrations in Düsseldorf, Marseille, the other countries of Europe as well as in Canada and Australia; the resistant and sacrificial Kurds, our friends, the Kurdish organisations in Europe, the alliance ADGB, all our member organisations as well as the media and digital media workers."