Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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13. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will consider taking the Turkish PKK off the list of terrorist groups in view of its role in defending the city of Kobane against the forces of Islamic State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44953/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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There have been a number of recent calls for the removal of the Kurdistan Workers' Party – the PKK – from terrorist listings. They have been prompted by the Turkish government's negotiations with the group and the role played by PKK-affiliated Kurdish groups in Syria.

Any designation or listing by the EU of a group as a terrorist organization is done on the basis of Council Common Position 2001/931 (CFSP) on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism. The reasons and processes for designation of an organisation by the EU are rigorous and detailed, as are the procedures for de-listing. These involve a thorough assessment as to whether the grounds for listing are still valid, taking into account the past and present activities of the group and the perceived future intentions of the group.

Ireland participates in discussions on the designation and delisting of organisations with our EU partners, and decisions are taken by unanimity. The designation of entities as terrorist organisations at EU level is applied automatically in Ireland and we cannot unilaterally delist the PKK.

The PKK was first placed on the European Union's list of designated terrorist organizations in 2002 and has remained on the list since then. The designation of the PKK was most recently reviewed by the EU on 22 July 2014.

The PKK is a militant organisation, which was founded in 1978 to create an independent Kurdish state on the principles of revolutionary socialism and since 1984 the PKK have engaged in an armed struggle in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast region. Although there have been intermittent ceasefires, the PKK's campaign has been marked by acts of terrorist violence.

The PKK has indicated its wish to negotiate a peaceful solution and now calls for autonomy for Kurds within Turkey and seeks to promote and advance the rights of Kurds living in Turkey, specifically the right to maintain their ethnic identity. Its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan has recently indicated his wish to negotiate a peaceful solution to achieve the PKK's current aims and several parliamentary delegations have visited him in prison.

We welcome the PKK's stated willingness to engage in political dialogue and the engagement in negotiations with Turkey. As the European Commission stated in its most recent progress report issued last month, the process is of historical significance to Turkey and should be pursued in good faith by all sides.

I regret that after two years of comparative peace, there has been a resurgence of violence over the last month. I very much hope that the current difficulties can be overcome, the ceasefire fully respected and that the process can lead to the successful conclusion that we all wish to see.