Swedish politicians call for international solidarity with Kurds and point to reports alleging the use of chemical weapons against Kurdish fighters in its cross-border military operations.
The Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) politicians launched a video campaign against chemical weapons to draw attention to Turkey’s alleged use in Iraq and Syria.
Martha Wicklund, council member at the Örebro Municipality, called for solidarity with Kurds and invited Swedes to share videos of their own.
Anna Lilja, Left Party Örebro spokeswoman, called for action from the international community. “The use of chemical weapons is a war crime and violates international law, which needs to be stopped,” she Lilja.
Left Party MP Nadja Awad criticised the silence of international institutions regarding the allegations. “The Left Party stands by international law and its Kurdish friends, the world must break its silence over Turkey’s war crimes,” she said.
The party previously held another video campaign against chemical use, calling for an independent international committee to investigate allegations.
Current allegations stem from the People’s Defence Forces (HPG), the military wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), who released a video in mid-October showing two Kurdish fighters seizing and delirious, reportedly under the influence of banned chemicals. Turkey denies all accusations.
Although the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) reports having discovered enough evidence to warrant further investigation on the allegations, there has been no official investigation to date.
