European MP: ‘Kurdish statehood part of final plan in Middle East’

WASHINGTON, United States (Kurdistan24) – A Member of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament recently said the Kurdish situation, including statehood, must be addressed.

Ivan Stefanec, a Member of Parliament in Europe, spoke to Kurdistan24 about Kurdish statehood, the conflict with Turkey and the EU, and democracy in Europe.

Stefanec stated the predicament of Kurds must be acknowledged especially as part of relations with the EU and Turkey.

“Kurds are [the] largest nation in the world which doesn’t have their own state, and we should be very open about that,” he said.

The MP explained that Kurdish statehood must be part of the “final plan” in the Middle East once the fighting in the region ends.

“What I can say [is] that Kurds deserve their own state, that’s what I can say for sure,” Stefanec told Kurdistan24.

Moreover, he suggested the topic of Kurdish statehood be discussed “very openly” because it is part of solutions with Syria and Turkey.

In another part of the interview, the European MP pointed to Russia’s fight against “EU unity,” especially their support for groups in sections of Europe who are against European harmony.

Stefanec urged politicians in Europe to find “common European interests” to tackle the rise of nationalism and extremism in the continent.

The MP added Europe needed to “improve” its internal security by “sharing information” between the different countries in the region.

Additionally, Stefanec said a European army under the umbrella of NATO should be instated to protect the external security of Europe against terrorism.

Editing by Ava Homa

(Kurdistan24 team in Washington, DC conducted the interview)