- Title: Kurds in France hold small protest against Turkish offensive in Syria
- Date: 9th October 2019
- Summary: POSTER FEATURING JAILED KURDISH LEADER ABDULLAH OCALAN
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2019 16:43
- Keywords: Kurds France
- Location: STRASBOURG AND PARIS, FRANCE
- City: STRASBOURG AND PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002B0DN9DZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Kurds in France gathered in front of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Wednesday (October 9) to protest Turkey's military operation in northeast Syria.
The small crowd held images of jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan at the demonstration organised in front of the human rights body, with more set to take place into the weekend in other major cities including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon.
Organisers called on action from the international community as Turkey launched the military operation with warplanes and artillery striking militia positions in several towns in the border region.
Turkey had been poised to enter northeast Syria since U.S. troops, who have been fighting with Kurdish-led forces against Islamic State, started to leave in an abrupt policy shift by U.S. President Donald Trump. The withdrawal was criticised in Washington as a betrayal of America's Kurdish allies.
At the French Senate in Paris junior foreign minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne expressed solidarity with Kurdish fighters as European countries called on Turkey to halt its operation.
(Production: VIncent Kessler, Johnny Cotton) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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