Senator Jordon Steele-John, the Australian Greens foreign affairs spokesperson, condemned Turkey’s latest aggression against Kurds in north and east Syria and in northern Iraq.
“The Greens strongly condemn Turkey's recent aggression against the Kurds, including the horrific bombing of hospitals and schools. The Greens recognise the ongoing injustices perpetrated against Kurdish people and will always advocate for those injustices to be rectified,” Steele-John tweeted on November 22.
He was supported by Greens Senator David Shoebridge who tweeted on the same day: “I join with elected representatives across the globe and call for an end to Turkish aggression against the Kurdish people. The threats from [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan of a ground offensive against Kurds in Syria and Iraq must be met by united global opposition.”
Both senators have had extensive discussions with representatives of the Kurdish community in Australia and have been outspoken supporters of Kurdish self-determination.
Addressing a rally outside Parliament House in Canberra on October 27, Steele-John said: “The Greens will always be in solidarity with the Kurdish people.
“You have now and always will have our strongest support. We recognise the rights of Kurdish people to self-determination and the rights of people and local communities to have control of their own assets.
“We support the immediate removal of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from the Australian government’s list of terrorist organisations. It is a secular party that advocates full religious freedom, women’s rights, social economy, co-existence of societies of different religions, LGBTIQ rights and a sustainable economy. It is not a terrorist group.”