The European Left Party, an association of over 40 parties from across Europe, has issued a statement “unequivocally” condemning yesterday’s raids on the premises of Medya Haber and Stêrk TV in Brussels.
The 40-party association decried the fact that the raids coincided with Kurdish Journalism Day, and pointed out the incident occurred shortly after the visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Belgium. The party members said the timing of the raids “raises serious concerns about intergovernmental collaboration to suppress the Kurdish voice. This is a distressing echo of the state violence that has been a long-standing reality for opposition presses in Turkey.”
European Left emphasised the vital role of Kurdish media in countering the Turkish state narrative. They wrote: “The Kurdish media play an indispensable role in providing information and a platform for expression for millions of Kurds, particularly those in Rojava [Kurdish-led autonomous North and East Syria] and Rojhilat [Kurdish-majority regions of Iran], who rely on outlets like Sterk TV amidst ongoing conflicts and political pressure. The actions taken against these media voices cannot be justified on any reasonable grounds and threaten the very core of democratic values that we, the European Left Party, staunchly defend.”
The party expressed solidarity with the journalists affected by the raids and demanded an explanation from the Belgian authorities. They called upon “all European political institutions and press organisations devoted to the preservation of democratic principles to join us in condemning these actions.”
The European Left Party joined a host of other commentators in condemnation of the attacks on Kurdish TV stations in Brussels and arrests of journalists by the Turkish authorities in Ankara, Istanbul and Urfa. Yesterday Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) made a statement against the arrests and raids. In Belgium, a press conference was held in which prominent lawyer Jan Fermon pledged to take legal action against the Belgian police and Federal prosecutor.
Members of the European Parliament Özlem Alev Demirel and Nikolaj Villumsen also made statements condemning the police action.
