B3-1051 and 1080/93

Resolution on the human rights of the Kurdish people

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its resolution of 12 June 1992 on the rights of the Kurdish people,

-having regard to the final document of the UN Conference on Human Rights in Vienna,

A.keenly aware of the continuing vicious repression of the Kurds in Iran by the present Iranian regime,

B.shocked at the heavy artillery attacks, with air support, by the Iranian army on Kurdish villages in northern Iraq in recent months,

C.acutely conscious of the immense suffering of the Iraqi Kurds and the continuing threat posed to their well-being by the regime of Saddam Hussein,

D.having regard to the attempts by the Iraqi authorities to intimidate the Kurdish population in northern Iraq, cut them off from access to essential supplies and destroy the harvest ripening in the fields of northern Iraq,

E.greatly saddened by the renewal of armed conflict in eastern Turkey, where failure to achieve an extension of the ceasefire is resulting in further horrific deaths, injuries and destruction on a wide scale of Kurds and Turks alike, and having regard to the escalating violence in Turkey since the terrorist attack in Bingöl on 24 May 1993,

F.concerned at the oppression of the Kurds living in Syria,

1.Calls upon the Council and EPC to give urgent new consideration to the continuing widespread violation of the human, democratic and cultural rights of the Kurdish people, since that undermines the possibilities of achieving peace and stability in the Middle East;

2.Urges that the strongest representations be made to all the governments concerned, asking them to grant full recognition of the democratic and cultural rights of the Kurds within their countries and to take immediate steps to end all human rights violations;

3.Appeals for all possible efforts to be made to achieve a permanent ceasefire in eastern Turkey and for the complete cessation of terrorism, counter-terrorism and all hostilities;

4.Calls on EPC to request that the UN Security Council condemn the Islamic Republic of Iran for its attacks on the Kurds in northern Iraq;

5.Calls on the Commission and Council to work towards the convening of an international conference with a view to achieving a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem;

6.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, EPC, the governments of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey and to the Kurdistan-Iraqi Government.