The 23 December attack in Paris claimed the lives of a prominent member of the Kurdish women's movement, Emine Kara, Kurdish artist Mir Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl. While the attacker, William Malet, was arrested, the French Democratic Kurdish Council (CDK-F) rejects the French authorities’ argument that the attack was based on a "racist motive".

The CDK-F contends that this attack is not just a racist incident, but rather political and should be investigated by the "anti-terror" prosecutor's office.

In response to the investigation, CDK-F spokespersons Berivan Fırat and Agit Polat and lawyers Christian Charrière-Bournazel, David Andic and Jean-Louis Malterre held a press conference at the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre. Lawyers raised concern over the inert investigation, unanswered questions and suspicions.

French lawyer Christian Charrière-Bournazel stated that the Turkish state bears hostility towards the Kurds, citing the years-long crackdown on its Kurdish citizens.

In a reference to the Paris massacre, Charrière-Bournazel noted that "All the past relations of the killer should be investigated". The French lawyer underlined that it was necessary to investigate whether the killer received instructions from the Turkish state.

WHY DID THE ANTI-TERROR PROSECUTOR NOT STEP IN?

Lawyer David Andic pointed out that while the anti-terror prosecutor's office generally deals with the cases against Kurdish youth, no anti-terror prosecutor stepped in the massacre case.

Andic said: “We want judicial institutions to be allowed to do their jobs.”

Lawyer Jean Luis Malterre said that while he was glad to see France recognize the Kurds, some government partnerships with the Turkish state are disturbing.

STATE SECRET

Malterre pointed out that the state secret hurdle in the first Paris massacre had a negative impact on the ongoing case. He said that they could not understand why the attack on December 23, 2022, was not considered a terror attack. PKK founding member Sakine Cansız, KNK Paris Representative Fidan Doğan and Kurdish youth movement member Leyla Şaylemez were murdered in another triple massacre on January 9, 2013. The family lawyers urge the French government to remove the state secret hurdle, citing the proven involvement of the Turkish intelligence service MIT in the massacre.

Malterre pointed out that the relations of the French police officers conducting the investigation with the Turkish state are under suspicion.

INVESTIGATION IS SLOW

CDK-F Foreign Relations Spokesperson Agit Polat pointed out that the investigation was progressing very slowly.

Polat asked why the murderer's house was searched a month after he was caught.

Insisting that there were many questions to be answered, Polat stated that they wanted the investigation to progress properly and faster.

THE KILLER HAS POLITICAL CONNECTION WITH TURKEY

Polat revealed that the murderer continued to enjoy his right to remain silent, but in the psychiatry session, he clearly justified the attack, citing his intolerance towards the "Kurds" and the "PKK". Polat added that the "political" and "terrorist character" of this attack was obvious to them: “In his meeting with the psychiatric service, no one asked him anything about the Kurds. He said he did not like the Kurds and the PKK because the PKK carried out attacks in Turkey. This shows that the killer has a political connection with Turkey. I want to draw attention to this: The PKK does not carry out attacks in France and Mallet (killer William Malet) is not talking about it at all. So, he has the same bias against the Kurds as the Erdogan regime does.”

Polat insisted that the shooter confessed during his detention that he had targeted the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre. Polat asked the question "Who hired William Malet?".