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PKK terrorists 'still backed' in Europe - Erdogan

Türkiye Materials 23 June 2009 06:12 (UTC +04:00)

The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggests that the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is still backed by certain countries in Europe, Press TV reported.

"The terrorist organization (PKK) which has the opportunity to exist and live in the north of Iraq, can still find supporters in some European countries," Erdogan said on Monday while addressing the ambassadors of European Union (EU) member states to Turkey.

Erdogan said that Turkey was facing threats of terrorist attacks that had international dimensions. "Despite all our warnings, we cannot get the support we are expecting from some countries to cut the financial sources of the terrorist organization, to provide no grounds for terrorist propaganda, and to extradite the assailants."

The Turkish premier also underlined that terrorism was going global and those who remained indifferent towards a terrorist organization today, should not rule out the possibility that this terrorism might hit them in the long run.

"We hope Europe will take joint action and assume a common attitude against terrorism," Erdogan said.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is listed as a terrorist organization by much of the international community, including Turkey, Iran, the US and the European Union member states.

More than 40,000 people have lost their lives since the group launched its armed campaign against Ankara in 1984, as part of a quest to establish a socialist Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey.

Turkish fighter jets frequently shell PKK strongholds in northern Iraq from where the insurgents launch attacks against Turkish soil.

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