On 24 March, Kurds, mostly families from Rojava, were attacked by hundreds of Turkish fascists in the Belgian town of Heusden-Zolder on their way back from the Newroz celebrations. Dozens of Kurds were threatened with being burnt in a house where they took shelter and some were seriously injured in the attack.

The Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement condemning the mob attack on Kurds in Belgium, as well as the incitement of the Turkish regime, calling for reaction in the form of democratic protest against these attacks.

The KCK statement released on Saturday includes the following:

On their way home from the local Newroz celebrations, Kurdish citizens of Belgium were attacked by fascist, racist, and bigoted mobs. The perpetrators of the assault intended to kill unarmed Kurdish people by encircling a house in which the people sought refuge. The attack has left numerous Kurds wounded, some of whom are currently in critical condition. The attack is still ongoing. Tayyip Erdogan and the special warfare-affiliated Turkish media are working very hard to fuel these attacks. We strongly condemn these racist, fascist assaults that stem from an anti-Kurdish ideology. This attack was an attempted massacre. Houses were set on fire, and those inside were intended to be burned alive. This attempted massacre is a mirror image of the massacre in Madimak.

The fascist AKP-MHP administration, enraged and hysterical in the face of our people’s growing struggle, organized and planned the attack in Belgium. The intent was to incite fear and intimidation among people, to deflect people’s agenda through provocations, pit people against the concerned governments, and ultimately undermine the people’s growing resistance. This is how the massacre attempt in Belgium came about: the AKP-MHP administration, furious and powerless against the growing freedom movement, sought Newroz as an opportunity to take such measures.

Our people expressed a very powerful stance against colonialism and collaborator betrayal, by celebrating Newroz with tremendous passion and involvement in all four regions of Kurdistan and beyond. They once again demonstrated their commitment to the freedom movement and Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah ÖCalan) to the world. This year’s Newroz revealed the historical consciousness of our people and demonstrated the failure of the AKP-MHP government’s homicidal fascist policies. The AKP-MHP government, being immersed in the genocide policy against the Kurds, is committing new horrors because of the frustration and defeat it is facing. The attack in Belgium shows that new plans are being pursued by the AKP-MHP administration, which continues to insist on the genocide of the Kurdish people. One of the primary goals of these attacks is to provoke the Kurdish people, particularly the youth, in order to push them to retaliate thus, portraying them according to the narrative set by the fascist Turkish regime.

Launched by our international friends on October 10, 2023, the global freedom campaign gained tremendous support from people worldwide, particularly from women, from the oppressed, and from the democratic public opinion. It additionally served to universalize the Kurdish people’s struggle. In the face of this ongoing struggle, the nationalist, racist, and fascist AKP-MHP government, which plans to attempt the occupation of Kurdistan and the genocide of Kurds, encountered major obstacles. These fascist forces implement all kinds of policies of isolation, solitary confinement, and genocide against Rêber Apo. The goal of the AKP-MHP government was to provoke by planning the attack in Belgium, to sway the agenda of our people in Europe, and to stop the worldwide freedom campaign from progressing further, realizing that if it continues at its current success, the fascist regime will not be able to maintain its policies. This is the key reason behind the attack by such a fascist, racist and bigoted mob in Belgium.

The nature of the threat posed to Europe by the Turkish state and the AKP-MHP coalition has once again become evident with the attack in Belgium. The perpetrators of this attack carry the same mindset as ISIS.

ISIS is being directed and sustained by the Turkish state and the AKP-MHP government, posing a threat to everyone. The main driving force behind the attacks of ISIS is the interests of the Turkish state and the AKP-MHP government. The fact that the attack in Belgium occurred right after the Moscow atrocity is not a coincidence. The AKP-MHP government intends to create a war-torn environment in order to carry out its neo-Ottomanist objectives, particularly the genocide of the Kurdish people, and to turn every site into a gory battlefield, pushing Europe to obey their demands.

We think it’s reasonable and good that the Belgian government is attempting to stop further provocations in this regard. Nonetheless, it is imperative to uncover, denounce, and make plain the motivations underlying these attacks on behalf of the AKP-MHP-led government. The approach of European states, in regard to the atrocities committed against the Kurds, is never fully transparent. This approach not only obscures the truth, but it also opens the door to more assaults and atrocities. Throughout Europe, the AKP-MHP administration is uniting, equipping, and assaulting people who hold racist, fascist, and bigoted beliefs. Nothing is done to stop them despite this being done so publicly.

We demand a change in policy from the European governments, particularly the state of Belgium. It is imperative to acknowledge that these ISIS gangs, who are fascist, racist, and fanatical, are not only attacking Kurds but also the European population. Additionally, we urge our people to refrain from engaging in provocative behavior or turning to means other than democratic actions and endeavors.