“The PRESIDENT: Thank you. I call Mr Kürkçü, who will speak on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left.
Mr KÜRKÇÜ (Turkey): I draw the Assemblys attention to the ongoing conflict and unacceptable human rights violations in Turkeys south-eastern districts, which are mostly inhabited by Kurdish people. In those districts and provinces, a new wave of violence has erupted after the suspension of peace talks between the PKK leader Öcalan and the Turkish Government, which was advised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during the 2013 discussion of the progress report on Turkey.
Since then, violence has spread throughout Turkeys Kurdish towns and provinces. Many civilians have already lost their lives: the number has already reached around 150. According to figures released by the Turkish armed forces, the total number of “terrorists is around 450, but the Turkish Government never admits civilian losses.
I call on the Assembly to keep an eye on what is going on in Turkey. Actually, the western world, including the United States and European countries, has turned a blind eye to what is going on in Turkey, in return for simple material gains, using the Incirlik air base and keeping Turkey as a block against the influx of refugees in Europe. A blind eye is turned to the atrocities and violations of human rights.
I call on the Assembly to start to observe closely what is going on in Turkey. In fact, that is the duty of the Assembly. Already the European Court of Human Rights has made three decisions on the provision of medical aid to wounded civilians in the besieged town of Cizre, but that has been turned down by the Turkish Government. At least three people have lost their lives bleeding while waiting in the snow for an ambulance to arrive. We cannot just watch this tragedy. The Assembly has at the very least to call on the Council of Ministers to intervene and to ensure that the Turkish Government obeys the orders of the European Court of Human Rights to provide shelter and aid, and to stop the breach of human rights violations in Turkey.”
25 January 2016
“The PRESIDENT: Thank you. I call Mr Kürkçü, who will speak on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left.
Mr KÜRKÇÜ (Turkey): I draw the Assemblys attention to the ongoing conflict and unacceptable human rights violations in Turkeys south-eastern districts, which are mostly inhabited by Kurdish people. In those districts and provinces, a new wave of violence has erupted after the suspension of peace talks between the PKK leader Öcalan and the Turkish Government, which was advised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during the 2013 discussion of the progress report on Turkey.
Since then, violence has spread throughout Turkeys Kurdish towns and provinces. Many civilians have already lost their lives: the number has already reached around 150. According to figures released by the Turkish armed forces, the total number of “terrorists is around 450, but the Turkish Government never admits civilian losses.
I call on the Assembly to keep an eye on what is going on in Turkey. Actually, the western world, including the United States and European countries, has turned a blind eye to what is going on in Turkey, in return for simple material gains, using the Incirlik air base and keeping Turkey as a block against the influx of refugees in Europe. A blind eye is turned to the atrocities and violations of human rights.
I call on the Assembly to start to observe closely what is going on in Turkey. In fact, that is the duty of the Assembly. Already the European Court of Human Rights has made three decisions on the provision of medical aid to wounded civilians in the besieged town of Cizre, but that has been turned down by the Turkish Government. At least three people have lost their lives bleeding while waiting in the snow for an ambulance to arrive. We cannot just watch this tragedy. The Assembly has at the very least to call on the Council of Ministers to intervene and to ensure that the Turkish Government obeys the orders of the European Court of Human Rights to provide shelter and aid, and to stop the breach of human rights violations in Turkey.”
25 January 2016