More than a hundred members of the European Parliament have launched a signature campaign for the removal of PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party) from the EU list of terrorist organizations. Two parliamentarians who have started the campaign will attend a press conference at Shuman Square today.

The MEPs stressed that the perspective of achieving a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey is under serious threat as violence is escalating and poses severe risks to the stability for Turkey as well as for the Middle East. "In Turkey we are more and more facing an outbreak of violence which pushes back the idea of a peace process and weakens the fight against Daesh".

The appeal underlined that; "The European Union represented by the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, but also the European Council, the UN and the USA have already called for peace in Turkey. In this context, it is a fact that the proscription of the PKK is standing in the way of the establishment of peace, dialogue and negotiations. The PKK’s proscription also facilitates the infringements of human rights, allows the curtailing of freedom of thought and freedom of the press."

Kurds are an important part of the political struggles in the Middle East as proven by the Kobani resistance and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey is not possible without negotiations with the PKK, which, we underline, former Prime Minister and current President Erdogan did already accept. Similar to the situation in Northern Ireland a peaceful solution will be reached just with involving all concerned parties."

The undersigned parliamentarians called upon the Council of the European Union to revise the list and to remove the PKK from the proscribed list of terrorist organisations.

Signatories joining the campaign are;

VERGIAT Marie-Christine

GOMES Ana

VALERO Bodil

WEIDENHOLZER Josef

DEMESMEAKER Michael

KELAM Tunne

BILBAO BARANDICA Izaskun

CASTALDO Fabio Massimo

CARTHY Matt

ALBIOL GUZMAN Marina

AUKEN Margrete

BJORK Malin

ANDERSON Martina

BOYLAN Lynn

CHOUNTIS Nikolaos

BENIFEI Brando

CHRISTOFOROU Lefteris

BOVÉ José

CHRYSOGONOS Kostas

CORRAO Ignazio

COUSO PERMUY Javier

DE MASI Fabio

FERREIRA João

DURAND Pascal

FARIA Jose Inacio

ECK Stefan

KAILI Eva

LOPEZ BERMEJO Paloma

COFFERATI Sergio Gaetano

ERNST Cornelia

EVI Eleonora

MARAGALL Ernest

GRASWANDER-HAINZ Karoline

LÖSING Sabine

FORENZA Eleonora

BUCHNER Klaus

HÄNDEL Thomas

FREUND Eugen

GERICKE Arne

MAVRIDES Costas

GRAPINI Maria

DELLI Karima

THEOCHAROUS Eleni

JAAKONSAARI Liisa

HADJIGEORGIOU Takis

SEBASTIA Jordi

HAUTALA Heidi

JADOT Yannick

DE JONG Dennis

STAES Bart

MARINHO E PINTO António

JOLY Gro Eva

KARI Rina Ronja

KELLER Jan

MICHELS Martina

KONEČNÁ Kateřina

KYLLÖNEN Merja

LAMBERT Jean

LE HYARIC Patrick

LOCHBIHLER Barbara

LUNACEK Ulrike

MALTESE Curzio

JUARISTI ABAUNZ Iosu

MASTALKA Jiri

GONZALEZ PENAS Tania

KUNEVA Kostadinka

MATIAS Marisa

MÉLENCHON Jean-Luc

MINEUR Anne-Marie

REIMON Michel

PAPADIMOULIS Dimitrios

NI RIADA Liadh

PANZERI Pier Antonio

SANT Alfred

PEDICINI Piernicola

PIRINSKI Georgi

VALLINA DE LA NOVAL Angela Rosa

REGNER Evelyn

PAPADAKIS Demetris

SPINELLI Barbara

RIVASI Michèle

VIEGAS Miguel

SAKORAFA Sofia

SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY María Dolores Lola

SCOTT CATO Molly

URTASUN Ernest

SERRÃO SANTOS Ricardo

SMITH Alyn

ZUBER Inês

SKRLEC Davor

VAJGL Ivo

ZIMMER Gabriele

TAYLOR Keith

SENRA RODRÍGUEZ Lidia

REVAULT d'ALLONNES BONNEFOY Christine

TERRICABRAS Josep-Maria

TORRES MARTINEZ Estefania

URBAN CRESPO Miguel

SYLIKIOTIS Neoklis

VANA Monika

SCHOLZ Helmut

ZDANOKA Tatjana