The Kurdish Institute criticised both Belgium, for not adequately addressing the provocations and aggression by Turkish ultranationalists, and Turkey, for its denial and unwillingness to engage diplomatically on identity and respect issues, in a statement issued on 25 March.
The Institute stated that “mutual respect and especially recognition of each other’s identity” are fundamental to resolving the tensions highlighted by the recent Kurdish-Turkish clashes in Belgium.
On 24 March, Kurdish families returning from Newroz celebrations were assaulted in Leuven by the Grey Wolves, with beatings, stabbings and arson. The violence was publicly endorsed by Yasin Gül, the Heusden-Zolder Deputy Mayor who is linked to the Grey Wolves, and further supported by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo’s comments, failing to condemn these provocations and seemingly equating Kurdish expression with actual Turkish violence, sparked controversy.
The Institute criticised both the portrayal of Kurdish actions as provocations and the lack of attention to Turkish ultranationalist activities in Kurdish neighbourhoods. They described the Grey Wolves’ fanaticism as deeply troubling for both Kurds and the democratic fabric of the country.
Moreover, the Institute called for a more nuanced approach from police and security services, urging them to target the true aggressors of such incidents. It insisted that without a diplomatic and peaceful approach from the Turkish side, and a foundation of mutual respect and recognition of identity among all parties, a lasting solution remains elusive, not just in Belgium but across Europe and in Turkey itself.
