Peace in Kurdistan Campaign today received a new batch of postcards ready to be sent by YOU to Theresa May at the Home Office. The postcard was specially designed and includes text on the back that urges her to delist the PKK from the list of terrorist organisations. In our view, taking this step is imperative if the government is serious about supporting a resolution to the Kurdish conflict in Turkey, which itself would have important ramifications for Rojava and the region.
The postcard text reads:
Dear Home Secretary,
On 1st May this year, lawyers submitted an appeal to the European Court of Justice to remove the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the list of banned organisations. Afterwards, lawyer Marq Wijngaarden stressed, “For a permanent peace to be achieved in the Middle East, the PKK must be delisted from terrorist organizations.”Hundreds of people, such as prominent lawyers Michael Mansfield and Gareth Pierce, signed our appeal agreeing with this view.
They acknowledge that in order for the current Kurdish-Turkish peace talks to have any chance of success, the PKK must be recognised as a major political actor and be offered the legal conditions with which to negotiate the end of the conflict as equal partners. Historic examples from South Africa and Northern Ireland show that this is a necessary step. Furthermore, by keeping the PKK on the list, the UK is continuing to support Turkey’s systematic criminalisation of legitimate and peaceful protest. This has led to the prosecution of over 40,000 people in 5 years. I urge you to remove the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the list of proscribed organisations.
TAKE PART TODAY: Reply to this email with your name, postal address and how many cards you need and we will send them to you. Alternatively, fill in the form at the bottom of this page: http://delistthepkk.com/postcard-campaign
This appeal was jointly initiated by the Kurdish Community Centre (KCC); Halkevi Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre; Sussex Kurdish Community Centre; Peace in Kurdistan Campaign and Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC).
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Peace in Kurdistan
Campaign for a political solution of the Kurdish Question
Email: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
www.peaceinkurdistancampaign.com
Contacts Estella Schmid 020 7586 5892 & Melanie Sirinathsingh – Tel: 020 7272 7890
Fax: 020 7263 0596
Patrons: Lord Avebury, Lord Rea, Lord Dholakia, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Jill Evans MEP, Jean Lambert MEP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Hywel Williams MP, Elfyn Llwyd MP, Conor Murphy MP, John Austin, Bruce Kent, Gareth Peirce, Julie Christie, Noam Chomsky, John Berger, Edward Albee, Margaret Owen OBE, Prof Mary Davis, Mark Thomas
