The Democratic Union Party (PYD) - Europe has issued a statement to mark the anniversary of the 22 March 2016 Brussels bombings.

The statement said: “The terrorist Islamic State Organisation “Daesh” claimed responsibility for the attacks. Three coordinated suicide bombings occurred in Belgium: two at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, and one at Maalbeek metro station in central Brussels. As a result of these terrorist attacks, 32 civilians were killed and more than 300 people were injured.”

The PYD underlined how “this painful anniversary coincides with the massacre of the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand. Despite the international condemnation of the circulation of the video of this heinous act of terrorism, the Turkish president, Erdogan referred several times to this massacre and used the video in his provocative speeches during his party’s electoral campaign. In his recent speeches, he did not hesitate to incite hatred against New Zealand or Australia and Europe. His speeches were also associated with the terrorist attack in the Netherlands in the city of Utrecht, which claimed the lives of innocent people. It is no coincidence that the Utrecht incident took place one day after Erdogan’s provocative speech, and it is no coincidence that the perpetrator of the terrorist act is a Turkish national.”

The Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Europe “express our sincere condolences to the families of the victims in Brussels, Christchurch and Utrecht. We also declare to the people and governments of Belgium, New Zealand and the Netherlands, our full solidarity with and support for counter-terrorism efforts in Europe and the world, which is the core of our democratic project in Rojava and northern Syria.”

The statement added: “Today, we are witnessing the victory of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), supported by the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, over the worst terrorist organisation that posed a threat to humanity as a whole. This victory over terrorism in north and north-east of Syria is a gift from the Democratic Self-Administration of Rojava and Northern Syria and its forces, the YPG, the YPJ and the SDF, to the people of Belgium, Europe and the free world. However, the war against Daesh has not finished yet, and its threat is still present through its sleeper cells in Syria and Europe. The greatest danger lies in the mindset and ideology of Daesh that must be fought by all means.”

The statement ended with the following remarks: “The victories of the YPG, the YPJ and the SDF, supported by the international coalition, over Daesh in its last stronghold, Baghouz, in north-east of Syria, which coincides with the painful events of the Brussels attacks, Christchurch and Utrecht, restore hope in our ability as Kurdish people and all the ethnicities of northern Syria to defeat global terrorism in co-operation with the international community.”

The PYD “call upon all European countries, the United States, Russia and other parties in Syria and the region, to shoulder their responsibilities and return the favour to the Kurdish people and all the components of northern Syria.

In addition, we call upon the international community to recognise our cause and our democratic administration in northern Syria, to stand firmly against the threats of the Turkish state and its occupation Afrin and to pressure Turkey to withdraw from the Syrian territories it has occupied.”