CALL: We see your crimes! Action days against chemical warfare 30.11.-3.12.

CALL: We see your crimes! Action days against chemical warfare 30.11.-3.12.

CALL FOR GLOBAL ACTIONS BY DEFEND KURDISTAN INITIATIVE

November 30 – December 3

Never before has Turkey committed more war crimes than in 2022. The international focus on the war in Ukraine cannot be used to cover up that Turkey’s occupation of Kurdistan has led to numerous cases of war crimes, including the intensive use of chemical weapons and drone attacks.

Despite the serious allegations regarding Turkey ́s use of chemical weapons, the international community and its responsible institutions such as the OPCW have so far failed to hold Turkey responsible, and neglect to seriously investigate the matter. Both because of Turkey’s invasions into North-Syria/Rojava in 2018/19, which clearly violates international law, as well as now because of it’s occupation attempts of South-Kurdistan/North-Iraq ongoing international protests have been held.

The reaction of government officials or representatives of international institutions has so far mostly varied between indifference and active obstruction. OPCW refuses even to receive reports by journalist and researchers. Additionally all requests made to laboratories in different countries, to analyse samples that had been taken to Europe from guerrilla positions attacked with chemical weapons in South Kurdistan, were declined. This is encouraging the Turkish state to continue its criminal policy without any expectations of accountability. At the same time many governments around the world justified Turkey ́s attacks against the Kurdish people and freedom movement as an act of self-defence and the fight against terrorism.

It seems that the Kurdistan Freedom Movement with its radical paradigm of democracy, ecology and women’s liberation, developed by its imprisoned mastermind Öcalan, is an obstacle for the power interests of regional and international hegemonic forces. The phrase “Jin Jiyan Azadî”, which spread from Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan) to the uprisings in Iran and is now shouted all over the world, became the slogan of the women’s liberation struggle. In order to silence the call for freedom of the women and the peoples they are ready to commit these inhuman war crimes.


We see your crimes! Therefore, as society and democratic forces we’ll join as global solidarity movement in line with the women and people’s demands of the region and we won’t stand silent in front of the committed war crimes and our governments complicity. We simply cannot stay silent.

Turkey ́s ongoing war crimes clearly show that Turkey has been encouraged by the silence of the international community and thinks that it has been given a green light to commit war crimes wherever it wants. The unfortunate result of this silence means to be an accomplice of Turkey ́s war crimes. Instead of capitulating to Turkish instrumentalisation of its NATO membership the international community must take the allegations of the use of chemical weapons serious by having experts looking into the matter and put pressure on Turkey to stop committing war crimes in South Kurdistan/Northern-Iraq and anywhere else.

Starting on the UN day of remembrance for all victims of chemical warfare, on November 30 until the December 3, we call for your creativity and solidarity to take action (i.e. go-ins, street-theatre, flash mobs, stadium actions, public video-screenings etc.) and to join together on the 3rd of December in the demonstrations in your regions.

We see your crimes! Let’s break the criminal and complicit silence that allows governments to put their interests ahead of human rights and turn a blind eye on the violations of the conventions they are supposed to defend.

To the criminal complicity of governments, our answer must be the unity and solidarity of the peoples !

Defend Kurdistan Initiative

P.S: Please send pictures & videos of your actions + little explanation with who, when, where, why did what action to info@defend-kurdistan.com. We will then use it for our media work.

#DefendKurdistan #WeSeeYourCrimes #OPCW #WarCrimes

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