Public protests continue in Swiss cities against Turkey
The Swiss city of Lucerne on Saturday also saw protests against the Turkish offensive against Kurdish-held regions in northern Syria.
Keystone/Alexandra Wey
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.
Swiss ‘Covid leaks’ scandal: court keeps gagging order
This content was published on
Swiss prosecutors, investigating a leak of confidential government information during Covid-19, remain blocked from seeing sensitive communication.
Thieves steal precious metals from Swiss watchmaker
This content was published on
Thieves raided the factory of the Swiss watch supplier Werthanor in Le Locle in northwestern Switzerland on Thursday morning. They fled across the border to France with precious metals.
Swiss court confirms guilty verdicts against Hells Angels and Bandidos bikers
This content was published on
Bern's High Court on Thursday confirmed guilty verdicts against six Hells Angels and Bandidos bikers involved in a violent clash outside the Swiss capital in 2019.
China rejects report on Tibetans and Uyghurs in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday rejected a Swiss government report suggesting that China has been cracking down on Tibetans and Uighurs living in Switzerland.
Fleur Jaeggy wins 2025 Grand Prix for Swiss Literature award
This content was published on
Zurich-born writer Fleur Jaeggy is the 2025 winner of the Grand Prix for Swiss Literature, the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) announced on Thursday.
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.