The Left Alliance, a part of the coalition government in Finland, decided at its annual congress on Sunday to propose the removal of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the European Union’s list of ‘terrorist organisations’.

The suggestion was brought up during discussions on the party’s political action programme by the youth wing of the Left Alliance, the Left Youth.

In their initiative, the Left Youth argued that labelling the PKK a terrorist organisation did not take into account recent changes in the political situation in Turkey and the Middle East.

The PKK was designated a terrorist organisation by the Council of the European Union in May 2002.

In the initiative it was emphasised that the PKK had peace talks with the Turkish government in the recent past (2013-15), and was actively involved in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Middle East.

“During the war on terror, states have used the term ‘terrorist’ as a political weapon. It has undermined civil liberties and, among other things, suppressed freedom of expression. In addition, opposition leaders and its supporters have been imprisoned and murdered,” the initiative said.

The action programme also stated that, in addition to the proposal for the removal of the PKK, the Left Alliance supports Kurdish self-governance, and an end to all arms trade with Turkey.

The Left Alliance’s stance on the issue is likely to complicate talks between the Finnish government and the administration of Turkish president Erdoğan, since the latter has made it clear that they will veto Finland and Sweden’s accession to NATO if the two countries do not take hard measures against Kurdish political figures, and end an ongoing arms embargo.