Three prominent Kurdish figures— Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council member Evîn Goyî, artist Mîr Perwer and activist Abdurrahman Kızıl—were assassinated at the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural Centre in Paris on 23 December 2022. The European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E) led a commemoration event on Monday to mark the anniversary, part of a series of events held to remember the victims and call for justice.
Speakers at the commemoration highlighted the perceived complicity of the Turkish state in the killings and criticised France for failing to fully investigate the attack.
TJK-E’s Dilan Amed said, “The killers are known. Why does the French state remain silent?” She accused Turkey of orchestrating the massacre as part of its broader campaign against Kurdish resistance, and urged France to uncover the truth to avoid being complicit in Ankara’s policies.
Emine Kara, a relative of Evîn Goyî, recalled her cousin’s relentless struggle for Kurdish rights, even after being wounded in the fight against ISIS in Kurdish-led North and East Syria (Rojava). She demanded accountability for the killings and pledged to continue the struggle in honour of the victims.
Similarly, Celal Turan, a relative of Abdurrahman Kızıl, noted that the failure to resolve the 2013 Paris assassinations of Kurdish women politicians Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez had paved the way for the 2022 attack. “This is not fate,” he said. “The French government must take concrete action to expose the truth and ensure justice.”
Zübeyde Zümrüt, Co-chair of the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E), linked both Paris massacres to Turkey’s broader attempts to suppress Kurdish gains. “The revolutionary legacy of women like Sakine Cansız and Evîn Goyî inspires us to fight harder,” she said.
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Zümrüt noted that Evîn Goyî had helped to protect Europe through her fight against ISIS but lamented that France failed to protect her in return. She vowed to continue the struggle until the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is released and a resolution to the Kurdish question achieved.
The event concluded with performances by Kurdish artists, symbolising resilience and unity in the face of continued challenges.
Kurdish community mourns, demands justice on anniversary of second Paris Massacre
🔴#DEVELOPING | On the anniversary of the second Paris Massacre, Kurds honour Evîn Goyî, Mîr Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl and demand France take action against Turkey’s alleged role in the… pic.twitter.com/PYNaQZB7WW
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) December 23, 2024
