Remzi Kartal, Co-Chair of the People’s Congress of Kurdistan (Kongra-Gel) shared his views about the Le Journal de Dimanche report on Turkey’s Paris ambassador İsmail Hakkı Musa and his role in the killing of three Kurdish women political activist women in Paris 9th January 2013.

The French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche published a report on an investigation regarding İsmail Hakkı Musa, Turkey’s ambassador to Paris relating to his reported role in the political assassination of three female Kurdish politicians and activists, Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez in Paris in 2013.

Claims regarding Turkish spy cells and their mobilization in Europe were also covered in the piece.

The newspaper based its report on a confidential document held by Belgium authorities. At the same time as the newspaper published the news, İsmail Hakkı Musa fled Paris and returned to Turkey.

“His period of duty has ended in Paris,” said the Turkish authorities on his abrupt departure from France.

The role of Hakkı Musa

Remzi Kartal shared his suspicion that ambassador Musa was warned by the French authorities of the forthcoming serious accusations about his involvement in the assasination plan and after that, he fled the country.

Stating that the role of Hakkı Musa in the murder of three Kurdish women in Paris was obvious, Kartal said, “We can clearly say that Hakkı Musa, who was in charge in Belgium at that time, coordinated the killings”.

“When all the preparations were ready for the massacre, Hakkı Musa was called to Turkey due to security reasons. He was in Turkey when the massacre took place. However, he became National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Deputy Undersecretary after he returned to Turkey. All the murders that took place outside Turkey are organized by MIT’s foreign office. After some time had passed since the massacre, İsmail Hakkı Musa was assigned to the Paris Embassy in France,” Kartal further stated.

‘Hakkı Musa is a key figure in organizing murders in Europe’

Kartal claimed that İsmail Hakkı Musa “planned the massacre in Paris while he was in Brussels and while he is in Paris he planned other murders in Europe.”

“In a document submitted to the Belgian court, it was written that the Paris Massacre was coordinated by Hakkı Musa. This news was also reported by some media plaftforms in Belgium. Wherever Hakkı Musa visits a place, that place became the centre where murders were coordinated,” Kartal said.

Musa having been chosen as a top intelligence officer “is not coincidental,” Kartal underlined. “A top position in Turkish Intelligence MIT is a very important position. Hakkı Musa is chosen for this position for a reason. Hakkı Musa is a key figure in organizing the murders in Europe.”

‘The Paris case was closed on purpose’

Remzi Kartal thinks the case regarding the Paris murders has been unlawfully closed.

“The Paris case has been closed on purpose. We state that the relevant institutions should change their attitudes to resolve the incident. We will insist on that. Although İsmail Hakkı Musa’s role in the Paris Massacre was known from the beginning, no investigation was initiated and he was not arrested,” the Kongra-Gel Co-Chair said.

He pointed out that due to Turkey-France relations, the French authorities never arrested Musa.

“It is again the sacrifice of the Kurdish people to inter-state policies that has continued for 100 years after the first world war, ” he said.

‘Musa left France with the knowledge of French authorities’

Regarding Hakkı Musa’s hasty departure from France on the same day that the news is published about his role in the Paris Massacre, Kartal said, “I think that his immediate departure was based on warnings of the French authorities. I think he left the country with the knowledge of the French authorities.”

Although some conflicts emerged in Libya and the Mediterranean Sea between Turkey and France, Kartal emphasized that “Turkey and France can freeze all conflicts based on their interests. It looks like there has been a rapprochement between Turkey and France.”

He also commented about Former Chief of General Staff Intelligence İsmail Hakkı Pekin’s confession on CNN Türk TV about the Paris massacre and the new assassination threat.

“We will take some legal steps regarding that issue. How it will turn out is difficult to guess. Some developments may occur in the upcoming period, but I cannot say any more right now,” he said.

What is Çelikbilek’s role in Paris?

In June 2017, three people in Belgium, including Zekeriya Çelikbilek, were detained on charges of “planning the assasination” of Kongra-Gel Co-chair Remzi Kartal.

Regarding the role of Çelikbilek in Paris Massacre, Remzi Kartal said, “As reflected in the press, we see that this person’s name is mentioned both in the massacre in Paris and the assassination attempt in Belgium. There is an ongoing case in Belgium regarding that so it is inappropriate to give information about these people while the court process is ongoing.”