Jeremy Corbyn, British MP and former Labour Party leader, condemned Turkey’s latest invasion of Northern Iraq saying he was “disappointed” over Britain’s resumed arms sales Turkey.
“We have condemned quite rightly the abuse of human rights of the Kurdish people, and the activities of the Turkish Armed Forces over the border, in neighbouring countries most recently, invading northern Iraq and the Kurdish region of Iraq. I think it’s wrong that Britain should supply arms to Turkey in any circumstances,” Corbyn told Medya Haber in an interview on Saturday.
Corbyn spoke after a rally organised by the activist group Free Assange in Brussels campaigning for the freedom of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who currently faces deportation to the United States to face charges in relation to a leak of document he alleged to have orchestrated in 2010 with documents provided by ex US intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning.
“Turkey should not be occupying or invading any neighbouring country, and Britain should not be supplying arms to assist that, which is illegal activity.” the MP said.
Corbyn pointed to the British government’s apparent close relationship with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Iceland’s former Justice and Human Rights Minister Ögmundur Jónasson also spoke at the rally.
Jónasson, a supporter of the Freedom for Öcalan Campaign, who are campaigning for the release from prison of the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, told Medya Haber that he was “shocked” by the silence from the international community regarding the developments in the Kurdistan region in Northern Iraq.
“Why is the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) not investigating allegations of chemical weapons use in southern Kurdistan? Why is there silence?” Jónasson asked. “Right now, all eyes are -rightfully- on Ukraine. But the violations in southern Kurdistan and Syria are being ignored.”
