The ongoing military invasion by the Turkish army in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) was protested in several cities in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Austria on Sunday. The protesters also condemned the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) collaboration with Turkey and showed their support for the guerrilla forces of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who are carrying out actions against the Turkish military.
A march led by the Defend Kurdistan initiative was held in the Swiss city of Zurich, with participants condemning the KDP-led government of the KRI, which is led by the Barzanî family clan, saying that the Barzanî family has “sold the freedom and future of millions of people for their own interests”.
Another march taking place in Cologne, Germany, also condemned the KDP, with Confederation of Kurdistan Communities of Germany (KON-MED) co-chair Ruken Akça stating that “while the Turkish state is burning down our villages in South Kurdistan, the KDP is not only watching but supporting these actions”.
In Ludwigsburg, Germany, hundreds joined a march to protest against the Turkish attacks on the KRI and Rojava and also condemned the recent attack against a vehicle carrying journalists in Sinjar (Şengal). In the attack, journalist Murad Mîrza Ibrahim was killed and three other people were injured.
Other demonstrations took place in the German cities of Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Bielefeld and Darmstadt with protesters chanting Kurdish resistance songs and also condemning the German state for selling weapons to Turkey.
Hundreds of Kurdish people and international activists joined a march in the France’s capital Paris, demanding the immediate release of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.
In the Dutch capital Amsterdam, another march took place, with Kurdish and Dutch people carrying banners demanding “Stop Turkey’s genocide in Kurdistan” and flags demanding the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.
At a vigil in the Austrian city of Vienna, the silence of the international community towards Turkey’s military actions in the KRI was condemned.
