The Democratic Kurdish Community in Switzerland (CDK-S) and the Kurdish Women's Association YJK-S have launched a three-day protest in front of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Geneva against the use of chemical weapons by the Turkish army in Kurdistan. The action began with a minute's silence in memory of the guerrilla fighters killed by poison gas used by the Turkish army in its invasion campaign in the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), ongoing since mid-April. To denounce the employment of chemical weapons, many of the participants wore white protective suits and gas masks. A banner showed the photos of the guerrillas killed in chemical weapons attacks in southern Kurdistan in recent weeks.

“THOSE WHO CLOSE THEIR EYES ARE COMPLICIT”

After a symbolic sit-in as a form of protest of non-violent resistance, Mülkiye Aşırbaev, Co-Chair of CDK Geneva, gave a speech and said: "We stand before the UN today to warn those who say nothing about the poison gas attacks and turn a blind eye to the war crimes of the Turkish state. The use of chemical weapons is prohibited and the Turkish state is committing a crime against humanity. We demand that the OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] immediately carry out the necessary investigations on the ground and do everything necessary to stop these attacks. Those who turn a blind eye to this crime are complicit. We will continue our resistance until our demands are met."

The spokesperson noted that the demands also included the release of Abdullah Öcalan. Aşırbaev appealed to the Barzani clan, which collaborates with the Turkish state in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), and the ruling party KDP not to betray the Kurdish people and to stop collaborating with the Erdogan regime.

“THE PKK DIDN'T EVEN EXIST AT THE TIME OF DERSİM AND ZILAN MASSACRES"

Erdal Atasoy, the other co-chair of the Geneva CDK, said in a speech: "It is claimed that the PKK is the problem, but when the massacres took place in Dersim and Zilan, the PKK did not even exist. There were only Kurds. As people from Kurdistan, we will never bow down and never give up our freedom. All we want from the UN is that they abide by their own regulations and sanction the use of chemical weapons."

Ramazan Baytar of the Geneva CDK Commission for External Contacts read out a statement in French, and between speeches the activists chanted "Jin, Jiyan, Azadî" (Woman, Life, Freedom) in solidarity with the guerrillas' resistance.

The protest action in front of the UN building will continue until Friday, and a demonstration will take place on Saturday.

TALKS WITH PARTIES AND ORGANISATIONS IN SWITZERLAND

Activist Asmin Engin told ANF that the CDK-S is holding talks on the Turkish chemical weapons operations with political parties, NGOs and media throughout Switzerland. "When the reports of dying YJA Star and HPG fighters in the Medya Defence Zones appeared last week, our first reaction was to immediately take to the streets. In view of the clear recordings and also the report of the IPPNW delegation, we continue to be active in calling the OPCW and all relevant institutions to account. We demand immediate action. We are also talking about this with members of the Swiss parliament, the media and civil society organisations," said Asmin Engin.