The Turkish army has been using chemical weapons against the guerrillas in the mountains of southern Kurdistan for several months. For a few weeks now, a new type of chemical warfare agent has been used that is significantly stronger than the previous ones. According to HPG, the explosive effect of this weapon is extremely high, the quantities of gas released in the atmosphere develop destruction in a large area and destroy all life.

The Association of Students from Kurdistan (YXK) and the Students Women from Kurdistan (JXK) have issued a statement on this new development under the title "Bis (2-chloroethyl) sulphide and the Turkish crimes". The student associations put the questions up for discussion about what Europe has to do with it and what can be done about it.

Why does Turkey use chemical weapons?

“Turkey's illegal invasion of southern Kurdistan has been going on for more than 160 days. Despite the most modern technology and the newest weapons, which the Turkish state possesses and uses against the guerrillas, it is not making progress against the resistance of the guerrillas. We can observe that the guerrillas have adapted to the new conditions. It really has become a 21st century guerrilla. The Turkish army is desperate and is therefore resorting to the dirtiest of methods. That is why it has been using chemical weapons for months.

Who supports the Turkish chemical weapons program?

When Assad's use of poison gas against the Syrian people protesting in Syria, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) launched an investigation. It turned out that the nerve toxin sarin and chlorine gas were used. The German press reported abundantly on the cases of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. According to Tagesschau and research by the Syrian Archive and the Open Society Justice Initiative, German companies were involved in Assad's chemical weapons program. We must now assume that German and European companies are supporting the Turkish chemical weapons program.

NATO is the judge and Turkey the executioner

Why have no investigations started against Turkey and Erdogan? Even in the past few years, when the Turkish army used white phosphorus in Rojava against the civilian population, this was ignored by the German and European authorities, most media and the OPCW. The main difference between Turkey and Syria is that Turkey is a member of NATO. For this reason, the West is silent about the illegal use of poison gas by the Turkish army. NATO is the judge and Turkey the executioner of the international conspiracy against the Kurdish freedom movement. But we also have to ask more precisely: In October 2019, the Turkish government donated 30,000 euros to the OPCW. Can these and other gifts corrupt the OPCW?

What to do?

The headquarters of the People's Defense Center (HPG) calls on the Kurdish people abroad, women, young people and internationalists to draw attention to the crimes being committed in South Kurdistan. Above all, we as youth in Europe have a special role to play in this struggle, as the orders and decisions for these crimes are made here. We can draw attention to human rights violations in Kurdistan through social media, demos, campaigns, by contacting radios, newspapers and television or by simply speaking to friends and family. Above all, we also have to put pressure on institutions like the OPCW or the CPT to take action against the international conspiracy against Serok APO (Abdullah Öcalan) and the Kurdish movement. Those who have a conscience, who believe in the beautiful in this world, must take action to stop these unworthy crimes. Even war has its rules and ethics. Turkey violates not only human rights, but also martial law. We demand an end to the crimes against humanity! Down with fascism! High international solidarity! "

What is bis (2-chloroethyl) sulphide?

The chemical bis (2-chloroethyl) sulphide is a chemical warfare agent from the group of mustards that is harmful to the skin. Other names are mustard gas, mustard, sulphur mustard, S-mustard, yellow cross gas, yperite or sulfur yperite. It has not yet been proven that Turkey uses mustard gas. However, the effects of the chemical weapons used by Turkey fit the description of mustard gas. It is therefore urgent that these attacks be investigated.