Dear members of the press,
Dear members of parliaments,
The curfews in the Kurdish region of Turkey which has been going on for more than 4 months now, has gradually intensified over time and rendered daily life impossible. So far, 145 zones in 16 different cities have been declared as ‘special military security zone’ which turned the Kurdish geography into a war zone.
Moreover, the fact that the state has declared 54 curfews in 18 Kurdish towns and districts, sometimes for periods as long as two weeks, is reminiscent of military sieges. As of now, a total of 342 civilians, nearly 400 PKK guerrillas, soldiers and police officers lost their lives.
However, the national media which does not put these events and deaths on their agenda and completely obeys the instructions of the government, unfortunately serves war rather than peace. Besides, the independent media’s work has been interrupted with the courts and judgements and many journalists have been imprisoned. Under given circumstances, the events and deaths remain unheard and unknown.
Furthermore, the European Union member states and institutions which have engaged in negotiations over the refugee crisis with Turkey are desensitized to human rights issues including the right to life and pay no attention whatsoever to democracy and rule of law, the fundamental values of Europe.
As the European Representation of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP – Halkların Demokratik Partisi) we call upon the members of the national parliaments and human rights defenders in Europe as well as the members of the international media to visit the Kurdish towns of Turkey in order to break the circle of silence which causes further deaths.
We confirm that we will make the required technical and logistic preparations. We also confirm that we will organize the visits and meetings of those individuals and groups who are interested in this proposal.
Kind regards,
Eyyup Doru
HDP Representative in Europe
Peoples' Democratic Party – Representation in Europe