On 5 November, 29 renowned individuals including politicians, writers, philosophers, artists, peace activists, MPs and lawyers from around the world established the International Initiative for Justice for the Kurds and initiated a campaign for the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) to be removed from the EU’s list of “terrorist groups”.

ANHA spoke to one of the members of the initiative, Gorka Elejabarrieta Díaz, a senator in the Spanish parliament and also Director of International Relations and Policy for EH Bildu, a Basque nationalist political coalition.

Senator Díaz said that in order to solve the Kurdish question, there must be negotiations with all parties, including the PKK, and in this context, the PKK should be removed from the EU’s list of procribed terrorist organisations . He noted that Turkey is using the PKK’s inclusion on the “terror list” to justify its military operations.

Díaz emphasised that keeping the PKK on the “terror list” is an obstacle to peace.

“This situation has paved the way for opposition political parties, newspapers, television channels, etc. to be banned and attacked,” he stated.

Díaz stated that they understand the Kurdish people very well because they face similar situations in the Basque region.

“We know very well from our own experience that the PKK should be de-listed, and that is why we have repeatedly demanded that the PKK be removed from the EU’s list of terrorist organisations. EU member states should take serious steps in this regard.”

The International Initiative for Justice for the Kurds consists of many well-known figures, such as Nobel prizewinner Elfriede Jelinek, Nora Cortinas, founding member of the Plaza de Mayo, contemporary philosopher Slavoj Žižek, international law expert Prof. Norman Paech and the Secretary-General of the EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), Michael M. Gunter. All members of the initiative may be found in the following link.