A coalition of 36 political groups will gather for a march and rally in Lausanne on 27 July. At a press conference at Lausanne’s Democratic Kurdish Community Centre, representatives of these groups who make up the organising committee stated that the Treaty of Lausanne is the root cause of the ongoing atrocities in Kurdistan, and accused the Turkish state of continuing its efforts to undermine Kurdish achievements.
Cemal Özdemir and Dilan Çetinkaya, co-chairs of the Democratic Kurdish Council of Switzerland (CDK-S), emphasised the need for Kurdish unity against the Turkish occupation of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Çetinkaya specifically condemned the occupation and called for political units in the four parts of Kurdistan to oppose the invasion.
She said, “On the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, we strongly reject the occupation campaign of the Turkish state on South Kurdistan [the KRI]. We call on all political units in the four parts of Kurdistan to take a stand against this occupation and join the rally in Lausanne. During the last month, we have been working together with 36 political parties and organisations to prepare this march and rally. We call on the people from all regions of Kurdistan to unite in Lausanne and raise their voices against the Turkish occupation.
Özdemir added, “We call on all our people and friends in Switzerland to protest against this treaty which has brought nothing but massacres, tears and oppression since it was signed. We invite all Kurds, all our friends and all political groups to join us in the march and rally in Lausanne on Saturday”.
The march will start at 1pm from the city’s Place des Pionniers and the rally will be held at the Chateau D’Ouchy, a symbolic place as it was the site of the celebrations after the signing of the Treaty of Lausanne.
The participating groups include the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (YNK), the Goran Movement, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) the European Congress of Kurdish Democratic Societies (KCDK-E), the Free Women’s Congress of Kurdistan (TJK-E), the Democratic Federation of Alevis (FEDA), the Communist Party of Kurdistan (KKP), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the European Syrian Union (ESU), the Kurdistan Islamic Party (PİK), the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (NAV-DEM) and the Kurdish Institute in Switzerland.
The Mayor of Lausanne, Grégoire Junod, recently made a statement on the upcoming anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne, announcing that he would prefer to attend the commemoration programmes of Kurds and other minority groups rather than the ‘victory’ celebrations organised by the Turkish Government.
About the Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne, signed on 24 July 1923, marked the end of the conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Allied Powers of World War I. It led to the recognition of the borders of modern Turkey, but resulted in the partition of Kurdish-inhabited regions between Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran. This partition has had a long-lasting impact on the Kurdish population, influencing regional dynamics and contributing to ongoing tensions.
