Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn sent a message to the Kurdish community in the UK on the occasion of Newroz. Corbyn said that “the Newroz festival is a celebration of some of the qualities that have made the Kurdish people famous around the world. I have stood y the Kurdish people for many years, in their long struggle for self-determination, autonomy and dignity.”

On this Newroz, said Corbyn, “I want to tell the Kurdish people that I continue to recognise and stand in solidarity with their political struggle. Not only did the Kurdish people face the brunt of ISIS’s violence, but they have long suffered extreme violence, ethnic cleansing and genocide at the hands of repressive regimes throughout their historic homeland – from Saddam Hussein’s ‘Anfal’ campaign of genocide in the 1990s, to recent devastating invasions by the Turkish Armed Forces conducted against the autonomous Kurdish-led region of Rojava.”

Corbyn underlined that in the UK “we are fortunate to have a vibrant and growing Kurdish community, including in own constituency. I will continue to meet and work alongside Kurdish community representatives and leaders. In addition, I will continue working to support the Kurdish cause on the national and international stage. I have previously called for sanctions on Turkey in response to their brutal actions against the Kurds. Negotiation with Ocalan are a ‘path to peace’ and the Turkish government must resolve this issue through dialogue and peace negotiations like those in place from 2013-2015, not unilateral warfare which harms many civilians.”