EU Court of Justice rejects PKK’s request to be removed from terrorist list

In the decision, it was stated that the PKK’s actions could not be counted within the scope of the “Kurdish people’s right to self-determination” and that resorting to armed force for the general exercise of this right could not be considered legitimate.

The European Union (EU) Court of Justice gave a negative decision in the lawsuit filed by the terrorist organization PKK with a request to be removed from the EU’s terrorist list.

The EU General Court, which is affiliated to the EU Court of Justice , headquartered in Luxembourg, announced its reasoned decision regarding the lawsuit filed by the PKK last year.

In the decision, in which the terms “terrorist act” and “terrorist group” were defined, it was affirmed that the organization was a “terrorist organization”, referring to the decisions of the UK in 2014 and the USA in 1997 and 2001 to ban the PKK.

In the decision, it was stated that the PKK’s actions could not be counted within the scope of the “Kurdish people’s right to self-determination” and that resorting to armed force for the general exercise of this right could not be considered legitimate.

In the decision of the Court, it was emphasized that “an exception to the prohibition of terrorist acts in armed conflicts has no basis in EU or even international law”, and it was reminded that the PKK’s attacks on tourist facilities targeted the civilian population.

The decision also affirmed the assessment of the EU Council that the terrorist risk regarding the PKK continues.

Thus, the EU Court of Justice has fundamentally rejected the PKK’s lawsuit against the EU Council.

The European Council reviews the list of sanctions such as freezing the financial assets of persons, organizations and organizations deemed terrorists and prohibiting the provision of financial resources at least every 6 months.

The PKK was included in the list in 2002.