TURKEY ACCUSES EU OF SUPPORTING KURDISH REBELS
Yerkir
12.12.2007 15:14
YEREVAN (YERKIR) – Turkey’s military command has accused certain EU
countries, in particular France and the U.K., of acting in a way that
supports Kurdish militants.
Turkey, a NATO member with European Union membership aspirations,
has long sought to put an end to attacks from northern Iraq carried
out by militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
"The position of and actions by a number of EU countries, including
our allies, enable the terrorist organization [PKK] to look for new
bases for operations," said Gen. Ergin Saygun, deputy chief of the
Turkish General Staff.
He said that although the EU had recently taken "encouraging steps in
standing up to the PKK," the group’s representatives and sympathizers
"are conducting propaganda campaigns in the European parliament,
as well as in the French and U.K. parliaments."
"Providing support to separatists, including in activities such as
these, is tantamount to sharing responsibility with the terrorists
for material damages caused to Turkey, and for the deaths of people
in its fight against terrorism."
On November 30, Turkey’s government authorized the military to conduct
a cross-border operation against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq,
following parliament’s approval in mid-October.
The country has deployed about 100,000 troops on the border with Iraq,
according to army sources.
The PKK, labeled by the U.S., NATO and the EU as a terrorist
organization, has been fighting for autonomy status in southeast
Turkey for nearly 25 years. The conflict has so far claimed about
40,000 lives, RIA Novosti reports.