MESOP NEWS : EUROPEAN YOUTH FAVORS KURDISH INDEPENDENCE

21 June 2017 – MESOP – Democrat Youth Community of Europe Encourages Kurdistan to Hold Independence Referendum

ERBIL — The Democrat Youth Community of Europe (DEMYC) released a statement on June 20th to announce its support for the aspirations of the Kurdistan Region people for independence and called for the recognition of the struggles and sacrifices of the Kurds and other components living in the Kurdistan Region.

DEMYC acknowledges “The non-binding character of the referendum for independence of the Kurdistan Region from the Republic of Iraq, and the aspirations of citizens in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.”

The community recognises the courage and effective role of the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).The statement also reads that the DEMYC recognises “That the Kurdistan Region of Iraq became a great model of peaceful coexistence between different ethnicities and religions where (among others) Assyrians, Chaldeans, Armenians, Yezidies and Turks [Turkmens], share peacefully the same land.”

Moreover, the DEMYC Executive Bureau encourages the Kurdistan Region to organise a referendum on independence.“We encourage the Kurdistan Regional Government to conduct a referendum that takes into account the rights of all ethnicities and religions living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” reads the statement of the DEMYC Executive Bureau, adding that they expect that any decision on the future of Kurdistan will respect the constitution of Iraq.

The statement concluded with DEMYC’s reiteration for participating in the upcoming referendum, set to take place on September 25th, with an observation mission.

DEMYC is one of the strongest political youth organisations in Europe and it is the oldest centre-right youth political formation in Europe, founded in 1964. DEMYC currently comprises 45 national organisations from 33 different countries from Europe and its neighbourhood. Previously on June 14, the International Young Democrat Union (IYDU) also announced its support for the aspirations of the Kurdistan Region people for independence and called for the recognition of the struggles and sacrifices of the Kurds and other minorities living in Kurdistan Region. www.mesop.de