Xosnav Ata, who lost his nieces Gülperin Ata and Mihriban Ata in the chemical attacks of the Turkish state, has been carrying out a vigil in front of the OPCW for more than two months. Ata calls on the OPCW to step into action and launch an investigation into the chemical attacks of the Turkish state in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

KONGRA-GEL Co-Chair Remzi Kartal visited Ata on the 71st day of his protest on Friday.

Expressing his solidarity with Ata, Kartal said,“We oppose the Turkish persecution against our people.”

Kartal noted that the Turkish state did not recognize the existence, language, identity and culture of the Kurdish people, and tried to suppress the Kurds who resisted.

The KONGRA-GEL Co-Chair recalled that the Turkish state was using chemical weapons against the guerrilla forces, and several delegations seeking to conduct investigations in the region were blocked by the KDP.

Kartal saluted Ata for his protest vigil, saying that “Our hearts are with you; we will be standing by you until the end.”

“The Kurds are fighting for justice all over the world. We are seeking justice here,” Ata said.

“The Kurds are no longer the old Kurds. They have a leader like Abdullah Öcalan. The guerrilla forces that are organized with his philosophy and ideology will bring success. Our enemies have left us with no choice other than victory,” he added.

BACKGROUND

The fact that the Organisation for the Prohibition of the Use of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has no interest in reports on Turkish use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan has been known for some time. However, it is also no secret that this is a violation of its obligations. To bring this to public attention, Xwaşnav Ata launched a "Justice Vigil" in front of the OPCW headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands on August 5. Every day between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Kurdish activist from Germany appears in front of the building to remind those responsible of the reasons for the creation of the OPCW and to demand their action against Turkey's use of toxic weapons in Kurdistan.

"The Turkish state killed my niece with chemicals. Why won't you investigate?" is written on a purple cardboard sign held by Xwaşnav Ata. It refers to the guerrilla fighter Binevş Agal (Gülperin Ata), who died at the end of May while resisting the Turkish invasion at Kuro Jahro in the Zap region of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). The People's Defense Forces (HPG) had said about the circumstances of the death that the Turkish army had fired chemical warfare agents over several days against guerrilla positions where Binevş Agal was in action. For months, the HPG has been reporting daily documented chemical weapons attacks by the military of the Turkish state.

But the OPCW, of which the Turkish state has been a member since 1997, prefers to remain silent. Despite all the reports by the HPG on the use of chemical weapons, calls by Kurdish institutions, research results by relevant organisations and individuals, as well as mass protests by the Kurdish diaspora community, the OPCW is not willing to become active regarding the accusations against Ankara. Even attempts by Kurdish delegations to hold talks with the organisation's officials have been repeatedly refused. And even the receipt of a dossier with concrete documents and evidence of the use of chemical weapons was out of the question for the OPCW. Turkey can break the international law of war with impunity.

"I do not and will not accept this," says Xwaşnav Ata. He states it cannot be that "the children of the Kurdish people" are murdered by brutal chemical weapons attacks by the Turkish state, and the OPCW stands by and watches. "The public should know that the only goal of our society is to experience justice. We want the OPCW to investigate Turkey's chemical weapons use and punish it accordingly. As long as this demand remains unfulfilled, I will not end my protest."

Another of Ata's nieces was martyred in Dersim last December.