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
