BELGIAN PREMIER APPEALS TO ETHNIC TURKS TO STAY CALM AFTER VIOLENT PROTESTS
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Oct 25 2007
Austria
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) – Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt appealed to
Belgium’s ethnic Turkish community on Thursday to show restraint,
a day after some 100 youths were detained by police due to rioting
in Brussels.
Verhofstadt said he deplored the violence, which erupted after
hundreds of protesters of Turkish descent took to the streets in
several neighborhoods to demonstrate against recent attacks by Kurdish
rebels in Turkey.
"Everyone in Belgium, whatever their background, has a right to live
in freedom," Verhofstadt said. "Violence is not an answer.
Mayors of Brussels’ various municipalities backed the prime minister’s
call for call and condemned Wednesday’s violence, which damaged cars,
trams, buses and bus shelters across various neighborhoods.
Fighting erupted after police tried to contain the youths, and
10 officers were injured. Police used water cannon and batons in
confronting the youths.
Three youths were still in custody Thursday and could face criminal
charges, officials said.
Tensions have risen in recent weeks due to the situation in Turkey,
where leaders were discussing a possible military operation into
neighboring Iraq following attacks by Kurdish rebels operating
from Iraq.
Community leaders also said tensions rose after a U.S. congressional
committee passed a resolution calling the World War I-era killings
of Armenians a genocide, which the Turks consider an affront.