Left Party MP says Germany should trigger OPCW investigation into 'chemical attack' claims

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A Left Party (Die Linke) MP in Germany has demanded the country's government, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN, take action to investigate "chemical attack" claims against Türkiye.

Noting that she had sent a letter on October 22 to these institutions, Gökay Akbulut told the Mezopotamya Agency (MA) that "we are taking an initiative as an opposition party so that Germany, the UN and the OPCW should take action."

Akbulut said they were planning to meet Thomas Schieb, representative of Germany in OPCW, next week, adding, "The IPPNW report is essential for us."

The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) released a report in late October recommending further investigation into the allegations.

The Kurdistan government had not allowed its delegation to carry out an investigation in the region, but there was "indirect evidence" that Türkiye was using banned gasses, such as chlorine and tear gas, the group said in its report based on footage and images from the region.

However, the report noted, "The pictures and videos of the same finds were produced by PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] members, so they cannot be deemed independent or impartial material."

Türkiye's defense minister had said the army had used tear gas during a hostage rescue operation last February in the Gare region in Kurdistan.

"We are requesting that an independent delegation should be sent here. War crimes are being committed against Kurds here systematically. An investigation should be carried out," said Akbulut.

"The government of Germany is requesting that war crimes of Russia should be investigated but unfortunately they are silent on the war crimes of Türkiye."

Akbulut also said that they will be meeting the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) and the Greens with the request that both use of chemical weapons and the aggression towards the region should be investigated.

What happened?

On October 18, the Fırat News Agency (ANF) released a video clip of two PKK members allegedly exposed to chemical weapons.

The clip showed a man having a seizure and a woman showing delirious behavior. Both people eventually died because of the exposure, according to the ANF report.

However, a resurfaced statement of the PKK from August says one of the two people in the video in question, codenamed "Baz Mordem," died because of a disease.

The ANF also cited a statement from the PKK, which claimed Türkiye had used chemical weapons over 2,400 times in six months during its military operations in Kurdistan. (RT/PE/VK)