Iceland pacifists condemn attacks on Kurds

Syrian Kurds fleeing Kobane to cross the border into Turkey.

Syrian Kurds fleeing Kobane to cross the border into Turkey. Photo: AFP

The Iceland Anti-War Organisation (‘Samtök hernaðarandstæðinga’) has condemned the Turkish government for using the war on terrorism and the Islamic State as a pretext for attacking Kurds in Turkey and other countries.

In the view of the Organisation, the aim of the attacks is to suppress the legitimate demands of the Kurdish people for self-determination and the creation of an independent State.

They claim that NATO has given its blessing to the case put forward by the Turkish government and reiterate their demand for Iceland to leave NATO and remain outside of all military alliances.

A resolution adopted by the Organisation today reads as follows:

Attacks on Kurds and the responsibility of Iceland

The war in the Middle East, which has been fought almost continuously since the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies in 2003 and since spread to many other countries, has once again taken a new and unusual turn. The world is now witnessing Turkish attacks on Kurds in Turkey and other countries on the pretext of a war on terrorism and the notorious Islamic State.

The absurdity of this justification should be clear for all to see, as it can easily be argued that Turkey has contributed most to the rise of ISIS movement in order to serve its own interests in neighbouring countries. The aim of the Turkish government is to suppress the legitimate demands of the Kurdish people for self-determination and the creation of an independent State, and to foster discord between ethnic groups to achieve quick domestic popularity.

NATO has now given its blessing to the case put forward by the Turkish government and is supporting its actions. Once again, the Kurds are being cynically sacrificed as a pawn in the Western power game in the Middle East. As a member of NATO, Iceland is supporting this act. The stigma of our membership of NATO continues to worsen. The Iceland Anti-War Organisation reiterates its self-evident demand for Iceland to leave NATO and remain outside of all military alliances.

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