HDP Urfa deputy Osman Baydemir, Batman deputy Ali Atalan and HDP European Parliament Representative Faik Yağızay held a press conference in the EP together with the Left Group.

Marie-Christine Vergiat from the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, co-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Spanish MP Miguel Urban Crespo also attended the press conference which called upon the European Union and other European institutions to take action against the Turkish state massacres in North Kurdistan.

Speaking here, HDP Urfa MP Osman Baydemir called attention to the genocidal attacks conducted by AKP forces against Kurdish population, describing the situation as a "state of war violating human rights".

Baydemir recalled that more than 650 civilian people were killed and 450 thousand forcibly displaced during the past 10 months under the name of "counter-terrorism". Drawing attention to the ongoing artillery and tank strikes against the living areas of civilian population, Baydemir stressed that the European Parliament, European Union and other institutions should urgently visit the Kurdish region and witness the destruction on the ground. He added that independent press members are not allowed to cover the ongoing conflict in the region, while perpetrators are being granted impunity.

Baydemir emphasised that Europe should take initiative for the re-beginning of a ceasefire and talks for negotiations, and avoid giving into Erdoğan's blackmail on refugees.

Speaking after, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, co-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, stated that; “The ceasefire process was important to the European Parliament for it stopped the bloodshed as negotiations between two sides continued. When we went to the mainly Kurdish region, governors, especially that of Diyarbakır, rejected our demand for a meeting with their side despite the fact that the Kurdish question can be resolved only through negotiations.”

Spanish MP Miguel Urban Crespo told the followings regarding his observations during the course of their visit in North Kurdistan; “The city of Diyarbakır was being shaken by the sounds of artillery strikes. This is not a normal situation but truly a state of war. Municipality administrators, workers, politicians and everyone we talked to are under a great pressure.”

Speaking after, Marie-Christine Vergiat, President of the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament, also called attention to the massacres committed by the AKP against Kurdish people, saying; “What we saw and learned show that the state doesn't respect the laws of war, let alone human rights.”