Several Kurdish people came together in front of the United Nations (UN) under the leadership of the Democratic Kurdish Society – Switzerland (CDK-S) and Kurdish Women’s Movement – Switzerland (YJK-S) to protest the recent chemical attacks by Turkey against Kurdish guerrillas, reported ANF.

The protesters and activists wore white overalls and gas masks to highlight Turkey’s alleged use of chemical weapons and carried banners displaying the massacre with photographs of 17 guerrillas.

Mülkiye Aşırbaev, CDK-S co-chair said that although chemical weapons are prohibited today, Turkey has exceeded the limit of crimes against humanity by using these weapons.

“We demand that the OPCW go there and do the necessary investigation as soon as possible and that the necessary action will be taken since chemicals were used,” said Aşırbaev.

Erdal Atasoy, also a co-chair of CDK-S, protested the attacks, saying “we do not want anything from the UN, just abide by your decision and give the necessary punishment to those who use the weapons you have banned”.

Meanwhile, Asmin Engin, a Kurdish politician, spoke to ANF and said that they are continuing their discussions with the political parties, non-governmental organisations and media institutions in Switzerland on the use of chemical weapons and poisonous gas.

Engin said that they started a three-day sit-in protest in front of the UN to protest the recent chemical attacks.

On 18 October, the People’s Defence Forces (HPG) released a video showing Kurdish guerrillas reported to have been caught in a Turkish chemical weapons attack in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) has discovered enough evidence to warrant further investigation on the allegations of Turkey’s chemical weapons usage in its cross-border military operations, chemical weapons expert Jan Van Aken said in an interview on 21 October.

There are also growing calls worldwide for an urgent and independent investigation of Turkey’s alleged chemical attacks in KRI.