At least 15,000 people in Dusseldorf, Germany have attended a protest against Turkey’s crackdown on the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), on Saturday.
According to local police, the protest was organised by Nav-Dem, the German Federation of Kurdish groups.
As well as Turkey’s renewed war against the PKK, the protest was also prompted by the European Union’s 3 billion euros refugee deal with Ankara, in which Turkey is to control the Syrian refugee flux into Europe.
Turkey considers the PKK to be a terrorist rebel group. Meanwhile, Syria continues battling against foreign-backed Islamist rebels who are supported by Turkey.
The revival of the Turkish conflict with the PKK reignited 5 months ago after a 2 year ceasefire. The armed struggle has been going on since 1984 and has claimed approximately 40,000 lives.