The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) Diplomacy Commission has convened in Brussels on Saturday for the conference to be held in Lausanne on 22-23 July. The meeting was attended by representatives of Kurdish organizations from four parts of Kurdistan, including the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Gorran (Change Movement), Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The committee, whose preparations for the congress have been going on since October, met for the last time today to review the preparatory plans.

Following the Lausanne Conference on 22-23 July, a central rally will be held in the city center on the 24th with participation from all over Europe.

Today’s meeting in Brussels, which began with a minute of silence in memory of all those who fell as martyrs in the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle, was presided by Blese Jabar Ferman of PUK, Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) Foreign Relations Department Co-chair Abdulkarim Omar and KCK Executive Council Member Zübeyir Aydar.

The opening speech of the meeting was made by KNK Co-Chair Ahmet Karamus, who spoke about the eight months of preparatory work, which, he noted, included forums, conferences and activities.  

“Our primary objective is the great international conference to be held on 22-23 July, which will at the same time be the final conference. This committee involves representatives from all parts of Kurdistan. On this occasion, we want to have the international community hear and know about the massacres and genocides committed in the territory of Kurdistan. All our work is based on this goal.”

‘The Treaty of Laussanne is a disaster for the Kurds’

Speaking on behalf of the PUK, Blese Jabar Ferman defined the Treaty of Laussanne as a disaster for the Kurds, saying: “This disaster has continued for a hundred years, bringing about massacres, deaths, bloodshed and repression. Our people are a victim of this treaty which must be brought to an end.”

Pointing to the enmity and betrayal among the Kurds, Ferman said it was time to stop this.

Fuat Cemal, representing Gorran, called attention to the situation in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), stating: “There are serious problems with the central government. The economic crisis and the oil crisis have reached a peak. Those responsible for it are doing great harm to our people.”

KONGRA-GEL Co-Chair Remzi Kartal stated that South Kurdistan’s ruling party KDP in general, and the Barzani family in particular have submitted themselves to the Turkish state in political, military and intelligence aspects.

“The sovereign states continue to pursue policies to choke the Kurdish struggle. Yet, our people are putting up historic resistance. This resistance continues in four parts of Kurdistan.”

Following the speeches, a series of actions in Lausanne were planned.

Speaking in the name of the council, Rojava representative Abdulkarim Omar called on the Kurds to gather in Lausanne on 24 July.