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Statement: Election in Turkey

EutccAdmin

Dear Sir or Madam,
Please find attached our statement regarding the run-off election in Turkey.
If you need further information, don’t hesitate to contact us. 
Kind regards 
Prof. Kariane Westrheim EUTCC Chairperson 

Statement on the run-off election in Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was declared the winner of the run-off election, which was neither free nor fair. He won by a narrow margin. His challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu achieved very high vote shares especially in the Kurdish provinces, despite the deep nationalist tones. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and The Green Left Party (YSP) had called for his election in order to pave a way out of autocracy.
European heads of state and government did not wait to congratulate Turkey and to express their hope for good cooperation, as did Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The restraint in the run-up to the elections already indicated that people were prepared for Erdoğan to carry on as usual.
What the country’s politics will look like in the future was hinted at in Erdoğan’s speech after the election. “It is not possible for him [Selahattin Demirtaş] to get out of prison under our rule.” He will not care about European court rulings in the future either. He will also make the refugee agreement paid even better. The entire Middle East will continue to be marked by instability. An end to the expansive foreign policy is not in sight.
A clear stance is needed from Europe and its institutions for the opposition, which has fought for change despite the strongest repression. Turkey’s policy under Erdoğan must not remain without consequences. If judgments of the European Court of Human Rights continue to be disregarded, the Council of Europe must take the necessary measures for violation of the convention.  

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

Statement on Paris Attack

EutccAdmin

Dear Sir or Madam,
Please find below our statement regarding the attack against Kurds in Paris. 
Kind regards 
Prof. Kariane Westrheim EUTCC Chairperson 

STOP TURKEY’S ATTACKS ON EUROPEAN SOIL 
Only two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Kurdish politicians Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez, on December 23, the Kurdish Cultural Centre in Paris was attacked by an armed person. Three people lost their lives, three were injured. 
There are many crucial questions to be answered. However, there is no question that the attack was politically motivated and specifically directed against Kurds. 

The statements of Turkish ministers are an important indicator with regard to the background of the attack. While communication director Fahrettin Altun warned France that “the disinformation campaign of the terrorist group will not only damage the bilateral relations between Ankara and Paris, but France itself” (speech at a panel entitled “Turkey-France Relations Opportunities and Challenges” in Ankara on 20 December). On December 24 Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu underlined that ‘Tayyip Erdoğan will not only purge the terrorists in Turkey, but also the terrorists in the world.’ 
If the forces responsible for the assassination in 2013 had been brought to light and appropriate consequences drawn, the current attack could have been avoided. 

The EU Turkey Civic Commission condemns the attack in the strongest terms and demands a complete clarification which is also necessary for the Paris attack in 2013. Generating the narrative of a mentally ill, racist lone perpetrator is dangerous. The European Union, and France in particular, must take a clear stance against all acts of terrorism by Turkey on European soil. 
EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

EUTCC Urgent Panel Debate

EutccAdmin


The Turkish Republic and its Kurdish Question: A War Without Borders

8 December7 pm (CET) Zoom


On 26 November, Turkey launched another military offensive against the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria, initially via air strikes. Dozens of civilians were killed, important infrastructure (including hospitals, grain depots) was destroyed. President Erdoğan announced an additional ground offensive. 
A few weeks earlier, on 18 October, footage had been released of HPG fighters with symptoms consistent with fatal poisoning by chemical substances. A delegation of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Germany and Switzerland (IPPNW) to the region at the end of September had already called for an investigation into the use of chemical weapons. In the wake of this the President of the Turkish Medical Association, Prof. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı, a renowned forensic doctor and co-author of the Istanbul Protocol, was detained for calling for an investigation. 
The speakers will look at the report of IPPNW and the international reactions. Turkey’s recent military offensive in Northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq will also be discussed. 

Speakers:

  • Saleh Muslim, PYD Co-Chair 
  • Barbara Spinelli, Co-President of the European Association of Lawyers
    for Democracy & World Human Rights (ELDH)
  • Dr. Jan van Aken, scientific advisory board of IPPNW Germany 
  • Dersim Dağdeviren, EUTCC board member 

Moderator: Prof. Kariane Westrheim, EUTCC Chairperson 


Registration via brusselsconferenceep@gmail.com until 6 December 2022.

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

Statement

EutccAdmin

Stop Turkey’s military offensive 

November 20th Turkey launched a new offensive against the area of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Many civilians were killed, a hospital and grain depots were destroyed. 


With this offensive, the perpetrators of the Istanbul attack have unmasked themselves. The Turkish state’s monist ideology is the driving force behind this anti-Kurdish warfare. Any achievements of the Kurds in the context of a democratic and gender-just understanding of society are to be destroyed. The catastrophic political situation in Turkey and the upcoming elections in 2023 add up to this. The so-called opposition is silent on the military offensive; in its anti-Kurdish actions, it agrees with the government. 
To date, silence has also been on the agenda of the international community, above all the European Union and the Council of Europe. International law does not seem to apply when it comes to Turkey – a member of NATO and the Council of Europe and a candidate for EU membership. 


Turkey’s war crimes must not remain without consequences. Toughest sanctions and an immediate no-fly zone are essential. The international community is now called upon to act and especially the United Nations, the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, the European Union and the United States to force their partner to comply with its legal obligations. There must be no hesitation. 

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission

Statement

EutccAdmin

STOP TURKEY’S ILLEGAL AND INHUMANE USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

On 18 October 2022, footage of HPG fighters was released showing symptoms consistent with lethal poisoning by chemical agents.  
Only a few days earlier, Dr. Jan van Aken and Dr. Beppe Savary-Borioli, who had investigated allegations of chemical weapons use by Turkey in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on behalf of The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) Germany and Switzerland, published their report. In it, they call for a further investigation by international organisations. 
The use of chemical weapons is prohibited and constitutes a war crime. 
Turkey is a member of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), NATO and the Council of Europe, and an EU candidate country. With the recordings now released, an investigation is inevitable. 
The EUTCC call on the above-mentioned institutions and their member states to fulfil their responsibilities immediately. Kariane Westrheim  Chair of EU Turkey Civic Commission    Dersim Dağdeviren Board  member of EU Turkey Civic Commission 
Links:Footagehttps://firatnews.com/kurdIstan/kimyasal-silaha-maruz-kalan-iki-gerillanin-goruntuleri-176528
IPPNW Report https://www.ippnw.de/presse/artikel/de/ippnw-veroeffentlicht-bericht-zu-chem.html

EU Turkey Civic Commission
www.eutcc.net
Twitter: @EUTCC1
Facebook: Eu Turkey Civic Commission