A delegation of the People’s Democratic Party Co-mayors of Amed Mardin and Van Metropolitan Municipalities have had a series of talks with officials from the European Parliament, European Union and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.
The meetings in Strasbourg was focused on the Turkish state terror in Kurdistan and the humanitarian disaster caused by the ongoing attacks.
Van co-mayor Hatice Çoban, Mardin co-mayor Ahmet Türk and Amed co-mayor Fırat Anlı was accompanied by the European representative of the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) in Brussels Eyyup Doru and the HDP’s Council of Europe representative Faik Yağızay.
The delegation of Kurdish co-mayors has held dozens of meetings with officials including the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Federica Mogherini and European Neighbourhood Policy and Elargement Negotiations commissioner Johannes Hahn; European Parliament (EP) Turkey rapporteur Kati Piri; Socialist Member of the European Parliament Anna Gomes; Gabriele Zimmer, chair of the Confederal Group of the European United Left; EP-Kurdish Friendship Group co-chair Marie-Christine Vergiat; Italian MEP Barbara Spinnelli, Cyprus MEP and deputy co-chair Georgiou Hadjitakis; Co-President of the Greens/ EFA group Rebecca Harms; Renate Sommer, the Christian Democrat shadow rapporteur on Turkey.
The delegation later met the General Secretary, General Director and Turkey Desk Executive of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the umbrella assembly representing over 200,000 authorities in 47 European states.
The talks have reportedly witnessed a discussion of the humanitarian disaster caused by the AKP-ruled Turkish state forces across Kurdistan – Cizre, Şırnak, Silopi, Sur, Yüksekova, Silvan in the first place-, and urgent measures needed to be taken to obviate this aggression.
The delegation of co-mayors is reported to have reminded of Europe’s responsibilities to restrain the onslaught, and provided detailed information about the situation faced by municipalities in North Kurdistan territory.
In the meantime, the European Parliament has hold a general session at 18:00 to discuss an urgent agenda on developments in Kurdistan. EU officials and deputies of 28 member states have answered the demands and questions in this regard.