Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), a Brussels-based coalition of European Kurdish organisations, has strongly rejected US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent statements on the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as baseless and misleading.
Blinken reiterated US condemnation of the PKK, and other groups that target Turkey’s interests, during talks between Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Washington DC as part of the US-Turkey Strategic Mechanism talks. However, the KNK claimed that Blinken’s stance failed to acknowledge Turkey’s alleged support for the Islamic State (ISIS).
The KNK questioned Blinken’s characterisation of the PKK as a terrorist organisation and criticised the omission of crucial details regarding Turkey’s actions in the region.
Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, aided and armed ISIS as proxy mercenaries against Kurdish populations in Syria and Iraq, the KNK said. Citing statements by Brett McGurk, a US official involved in the fight against ISIS, the KNK claimed that Turkey was facilitating the flow of foreign fighters and material support to ISIS-controlled areas. The KNK also claimed that Turkey has continued to work with al-Qa’ida affiliates in Syria, exacerbating instability in the region.
The PKK never targeted US interests but rather played a crucial role in the fight against ISIS, including rescuing Yazidi civilians from ISIS atrocities, the KNK emphasised. The coalition accused Turkey of human rights violations and war crimes in Kurdish-majority regions and criticised Blinken for his echo of Turkish government propaganda.
The umbrella group fear potential US support for Turkey’s military operations against Kurdish populations in Iraq and Syria and urged the international community to recognise the crucial role of the PKK in defence of Kurdish rights. The Kurdish cause is for self-determination in a peaceful, democratic society, the KNK said, and must be supported in its struggle against Turkish aggression.
The KNK called on Turkey to cease its escalation of conflict with the Kurdish community and reaffirmed the PKK’s commitment to democracy and justice.
