Statement from Sortu on Paris murders

The Sortu party from the Basque country has issued a statement on the second anniversary of the Paris murders. The statement commemorated “our three revolutionary comrades, whose sacrifice lives on particularly in the struggle of Kurdish women in Kobanê.”

The Sortu statement said: “This is the month that Sakine, Leyla and Fidan were murdered. When they were slaughtered we made clear our solidarity and condemned this crime. We also do not accept the attitude of the French authorities.”

Sortu added that the Turkish state must do more to resolve the Kurdish question, and that in this way the Middle East might democratise. The statement stressed the importance of responding sincerely to the Kurdish people’s demand for dialogue.

The Sortu statement drew parallels with the situation of the Basque people, recalling that: “Sortu’s General Secretary Arnoldo Otegi is in prison for voicing similar demands for his people, for desiring our country make a democratic decision.”

The statement called for freedom for Basque leader Arnoldo Otegi and other political prisoners and for Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and Kurdish political prisoners, ending with the slogan: “Gora Euzkadi (Long Live the Basque country) and Biji Kurdistan (Long Live Kurdistan).”