Former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the British government to halt arms exports to Israel and recognise Kurdish rights, criticising its role in Middle East conflicts. In an interview with journalist Erem Kansoy for the Political Dialogue podcast, Corbyn expressed disappointment with UK foreign policy, particularly its stance on Palestine and the Kurdish question.
On Palestine, Corbyn highlighted the UK’s failure to act on a 2014 non-binding House of Commons resolution to recognise the State of Palestine. He noted the ongoing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, intensified since October 2023, and the bombardment of Gaza, which he said has caused over 60,000 deaths. “There is no justification, legally or otherwise, for continuing to supply arms to Israel,” he stated, pointing to rulings by the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court. While Foreign Secretary David Lammy suspended some arms licences, Corbyn criticised the continued supply of F-35 jet parts, used in Gaza strikes.
Corbyn also addressed the Kurdish question, accusing the UK of historically inadequate support for Kurdish language and cultural rights. He referenced Britain’s 1919 aerial bombardments of Kurdish positions in northern Iraq and its failure to uphold a brief recognition of a Kurdish state in the 1920s. “The British government doesn’t support or recognise the rights of Kurdish people as a whole,” he said, citing the 1988 Halabja massacre in Iraq as a moment when the UK was forced to acknowledge Kurdish suffering.
The interview focused on a recent statement by Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Öcalan, held in the Turkish prison of İmralı since 1999, recently called for the PKK to cease military activities and pursue peaceful negotiations. Corbyn described this as a “game changer” and urged Turkey to respond by releasing Öcalan and other political prisoners. “I recognise the historical importance of your statement,” he said, addressing Öcalan directly.
Drawing parallels with the Northern Ireland peace process, Corbyn noted that ceasefires in 1994 and 1997 were accompanied by political concessions, such as prisoner releases and the Belfast Agreement. He expressed surprise that Turkey has not reciprocated Öcalan’s gesture, stating, “Very little appears to have been offered or happened since then.” He called for Western governments to press Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria to recognise Kurdish rights to self-identity.
Corbyn, who represents a significant Kurdish community in his Islington North constituency, also criticised the European Union’s “cold approach” to resolving the Kurdish issue. He rejected claims that the UK actively opposes Turkish-Kurdish peace but acknowledged its lack of clear support for Öcalan’s peace initiative. “A nation is happiest when it recognises its diversity,” he said, pledging to continue advocating for Kurdish representation in Parliament and at the Council of Europe.
