Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey
Several thousand people have again marched in Swiss cities to protest against Turkey’s military offensive against Kurdish regions in Syria.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch with Keystone-SDA/ug
The demonstrators in the cities of Geneva, Bern and Lucerne called for an immediate end to the violence and oppression by the Turkish regime against the Kurds. They also urged Switzerland to stop weapons exports to Turkey and to impose financial sanctions.
The protests were organised by the Kurdish community supported by left-wing Swiss political parties, trade unions as well as the pacifist Switzerland Without an Army group.
On Friday, demonstrations also took place in the Swiss cities of Zurich and Basel against the Turkish offensive in Syria.
Condemnation
The military conflict in the border region between Syria and Turkey has also raised concern in western Europe that militant Islamic groups could regain strength.
However, Switzerland stopped short of imposing economic sanctions against Turkey.
For its part, the Swiss parliament on Friday decided to suspend preparations to introduce a regular exchange of tax data with Ankara.
A Senate committee argued Turkey’s military offensive was a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Estimations about the number of Kurdish immigrants in Switzerland vary widely between 15,000 and 60,000.
More
More
‘If I can’t return to Switzerland, I’d prefer a bullet in the head’
This content was published on
In northeast Syria, Swiss public television (RTS) interviewed a Swiss jihadist who has been detained by the Kurds since January 2018.
Red Cross: 22 staff killed in Middle East since October
This content was published on
The Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Gaza and Israel has lost 22 staff members since last October, the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) said on Wednesday.
Dortmund’s Kobel is first Swiss goalie in Champions League final
This content was published on
Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel has achieved history by becoming the first Swiss goalkeeper to reach a Champion’s League final.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss government calls on Turkey to cease fire in Syria
This content was published on
The Swiss government has called for Turkey to implement an immediate ceasefire in Syria. It is also taking steps to facilitate humanitarian aid.
Thousands in Zurich protest Turkey’s Syria offensive
This content was published on
Several thousand Kurds and sympathisers demonstrated on Saturday afternoon in Zurich against the Turkish offensive in northern Syria.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.