Apel Europe forbid Turkish massacres against Kurds

There is a word that cannot be spoken in Turkey, and that is the word war. President Erdogan and his supporters are attacking Kurdish civilians, and calling military invasion “operation” Operation Source of Peace. This is too great a disregard for the truth.

Speaking of war in Turkey means being declared a traitor. Those few free voices will face cruel revenge: prison, slander, civil death. No disagreement. Massacres against Kurds, lifting their independence, their rights, dreams, are being described by Erdogan as a vital need for Turks.

That's all against it and against the false plot of reality that Europe likes to display unity, cohesion and determination. We cannot abandon Kurds and leave them in the mercy of fate. After President Trump's betrayal, their comfort is to appeal to Europe.

The Kurdish issue should be important to us because wars are being fought with weapons we produce and sell [the decision of European ministers to stop selling weapons was necessary, though delayed, as a step]. It should be important for all of us because Kurds are the only group that can control the scope of the Islamic State [ ISIS]. It should be important for all of us because Turkey receives money from Europe to stop Syrian immigrants.

All of this has to be important because Europe, which they want to destroy, should show that it exists as political, territorial, economic and, above all, cultural entities. He has to show himself that it's a place where democracy exists, and even when it's threatened, he resists.

Roberto Soveano, Svetlana Aleksievich, Fernando Aragbouru, Marc Auge, Martin Caparos, Elena Ferrante, Bernard-Henri Levy, Hanif Kureishi, Salman Rushdie, Mario Vargas Llosa, Herta Mueller and Robert Harris.

This appeal was originally published in the Italian newspaper La Republika, but Periscope translated from The Guardian. /Periscope