In front of the European Parliament in Brussels, activists protested against the silence of Western governments and international institutions regarding Turkey's chemical weapons attacks in Kurdistan. The action on Luxembourg Square was promoted by the KCDK-E, the umbrella organisation of Kurdish organisations in Europe.

“TURKEY BOMBS, NATO FINANCES”

Demonstrators from France and Germany also took part in the protest. Dozens of participants wore symbolic protective suits to draw attention to the use of poison gas by the Turkish army in the mountains of Kurdistan. Under heavy rain, the activists chanted "Turkey bombs, NATO finances!" and "Terrorist Erdogan", along with other slogans expressing solidarity with the guerrillas. The demonstrators carried pictures of 17 guerrilla fighters killed by the Turkish army with chemical weapons in recent weeks. In a statement read out by the organisers, reference was made to the ongoing use of chemical weapons since February 2021 and the abundant evidence of Turkish war crimes.

APPEAL TO OPCW TO “INVESTIGATE, CONDEMN, PREVENT”

The demonstrators demanded that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) heed the calls of Kurdish organisations and international bodies such as IPPNW to investigate, condemn and prevent the use of chemical weapons. KCDK-E co-chair Yüksel Koç said in a speech that the guerrillas fighting for the freedom of the Kurdish people are wanted to be deprived of air and condemned the international silence and the Barzani clan from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), which is collaborating with the Turkish state and preventing an investigation of chemical weapons use by experts. The PYD politician Zozan Dêrik said that the Kurdish people cannot be destroyed with chemical weapons and will continue to fight.

ACIVISTS ATTACKED WITH TEAR GAS

After the speeches, the activists moved towards the European Parliament, when they were attacked by the police using tear gas. One of the Belgian police officers spoke to the demonstrators in Turkish, which increased the tension. The police called for reinforcement, riot control units and a water cannon arrived. The activists gathered again in Luxemburg Square and were surrounded. The confrontation calmed down when a delegation from the demonstration was allowed to proceed to the European Parliament.

DOSSIER HANDED OVER AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The three-member delegation handed over a KCDK-E dossier calling for an investigation into the chemical weapons allegations and immediate action to end Turkish war crimes. The KCDK-E demands that the OPCW investigate the use of banned agents in Southern Kurdistan, as it did in Syria.

At this point, the police relaxed the encirclement and partially withdrew. The protest action continued for some time with slogans and resistance songs.