By
Ana Maria Sarmento
Bruxelles - The
European Parliament (EP) has been exchanging
views on the
current situation of Kurds in the regions of Syrian and Iran.
Last week, both Conferences and EP Committee hearings discussed the urgent need for European leaders to help Kurds. Masrour Barzani, Chancellor of the Security Council of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has expressed his gratitude towards the EU (European Union) and U.S. humanitarian aids.
However, he also stated that he looks “for more support and engagement from the EU”. Europe's help is still very little for the urgent demands of Kurdish people who have lost everything. On the run from ISIS, thousands of Kurds have left their homes with nothing else than hope on finding a secure place for themselves and their children.
Fleeing from the horror of witnessing men savagely killed, women and children slaughtered, women rapped or sold as slaves and villages completely destroyed, Kurds try to reach refugees camps or the Syrian border with Turkey. The attacks on the population from the Kurdistan region are ongoing for many years. Yet, the current attacks on Mosul and Kobani were a dramatic turning point for the international community who now has its eyes on it.
The Kurdish fight is now an international one. ISIS, a terrorist group self named as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a common enemy to both the Kurds and most of the international community. Considered as a non-negotiable group, ISIS does not “recognize the values of democracy and Human rights” that the EU defends.
The Iraqi government has no means to fight this enemy by itself and, EU financial, political and military supports are highly needed, according to Masrour Barzani. Acting now and providing military ground support as well as heavy weaponry is what the Chancellor of the Security Council ask to the EU.
Defending that “ISIS has committed crimes against humanity”, Barzani also stated that the consequences of wrong policies in Baghdad together with the ongoing Syrian civil war made possible the growth of ISIS in the region. He added “the regime (of Bashar al-Assad) is becoming a dream area to those who support persecution and terror”. He enhanced the importance of European leadership on promoting peace and stability in the region, by supporting by any means the fight of the Kurdish people, who desperately resist losing their land and freedom to ISIS. Turkey has an important role due to its geostrategic position on the conflict areas and he expressed his “hope to see Turkey in action and to help and support on fighting the terror acts”.
The ambiguous position of Turkey was also mentioned on other conferences held in the EP about the Kurdish fight. Several European speakers demonstrated concerns on how Turkey, a candidate to join the EU membership, has been dealing with this issue.
More than 1.000 soldiers mobilised to the Syria-Turkey boarder have done nothing to assist Kurds fleeing from the terror of ISIS. Quite the contrary, they have been pushing refugees back. It may lead to Turkey being viewed with a critical eye by European citizens.
Kobani appears to be a symbol of resistance against ISIS. And this has widened the international community's view on the importance of supporting this fight in the Middle East. Including the Kurds in the Peace talks would be an positive step from the EU. Up to date, Kurds were always excluded from the Geneva Peace talks.
The need of an EU promoting a real project of democracy in the region is crucial. The EU has the opportunity to promote equality, secularism and human rights in the region by fomenting the Kurdish right for a referendum about their future.
In addition, the EU fight against ISIS requires the support of Kurd communities, who persistently fight against ISIS for freedom with very limited resources and facing high risk.
Last week, both Conferences and EP Committee hearings discussed the urgent need for European leaders to help Kurds. Masrour Barzani, Chancellor of the Security Council of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has expressed his gratitude towards the EU (European Union) and U.S. humanitarian aids.
However, he also stated that he looks “for more support and engagement from the EU”. Europe's help is still very little for the urgent demands of Kurdish people who have lost everything. On the run from ISIS, thousands of Kurds have left their homes with nothing else than hope on finding a secure place for themselves and their children.
Fleeing from the horror of witnessing men savagely killed, women and children slaughtered, women rapped or sold as slaves and villages completely destroyed, Kurds try to reach refugees camps or the Syrian border with Turkey. The attacks on the population from the Kurdistan region are ongoing for many years. Yet, the current attacks on Mosul and Kobani were a dramatic turning point for the international community who now has its eyes on it.
The Kurdish fight is now an international one. ISIS, a terrorist group self named as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is a common enemy to both the Kurds and most of the international community. Considered as a non-negotiable group, ISIS does not “recognize the values of democracy and Human rights” that the EU defends.
The Iraqi government has no means to fight this enemy by itself and, EU financial, political and military supports are highly needed, according to Masrour Barzani. Acting now and providing military ground support as well as heavy weaponry is what the Chancellor of the Security Council ask to the EU.
Defending that “ISIS has committed crimes against humanity”, Barzani also stated that the consequences of wrong policies in Baghdad together with the ongoing Syrian civil war made possible the growth of ISIS in the region. He added “the regime (of Bashar al-Assad) is becoming a dream area to those who support persecution and terror”. He enhanced the importance of European leadership on promoting peace and stability in the region, by supporting by any means the fight of the Kurdish people, who desperately resist losing their land and freedom to ISIS. Turkey has an important role due to its geostrategic position on the conflict areas and he expressed his “hope to see Turkey in action and to help and support on fighting the terror acts”.
The ambiguous position of Turkey was also mentioned on other conferences held in the EP about the Kurdish fight. Several European speakers demonstrated concerns on how Turkey, a candidate to join the EU membership, has been dealing with this issue.
More than 1.000 soldiers mobilised to the Syria-Turkey boarder have done nothing to assist Kurds fleeing from the terror of ISIS. Quite the contrary, they have been pushing refugees back. It may lead to Turkey being viewed with a critical eye by European citizens.
Kobani appears to be a symbol of resistance against ISIS. And this has widened the international community's view on the importance of supporting this fight in the Middle East. Including the Kurds in the Peace talks would be an positive step from the EU. Up to date, Kurds were always excluded from the Geneva Peace talks.
The need of an EU promoting a real project of democracy in the region is crucial. The EU has the opportunity to promote equality, secularism and human rights in the region by fomenting the Kurdish right for a referendum about their future.
In addition, the EU fight against ISIS requires the support of Kurd communities, who persistently fight against ISIS for freedom with very limited resources and facing high risk.
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