Turkey on Sunday reminded Europe of a threat posed by the PKK terror group after violent protests by supporters of the group left more than two dozen police officers injured in the French capital.
“These developments have emerged as a hint that the patronage of terrorist groups in Europe just because of their opposition to Turkey will eventually cause great trouble for Europe,” Ömer Çelik, spokesman for the Justice and Development (AK) Party, told a group of reporters.
31 French police officers injured
Çelik’s remarks came a day after the Paris police chief said that at least 31 French police officers were injured in violent acts perpetrated by supporters of the PKK terrorist group in Paris.
About Friday’s shooting in Paris that left three people dead, he said the racist and fascist attacks in France have increased in recent years.
Çelik stressed that “the anti-immigrant, xenophobic and Islamophobic” rhetoric in France “especially among its politicians and media” encourages such attacks and causes “the disease of fascism more common all over Europe.”
He further said that Turkey did not see solidarity from its European friends in its fight against PKK/PYD/YPG terrorist group and its affiliates.
“In other words, they have repeatedly shown with their actions that they clearly view Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist organization, but do not view the PKK/PYD/YPG as a terrorist organization,” he added.
“The fight against terrorism should be our common struggle,” he added.
‘This is PKK in France’
Separately, Turkish presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın shared a video of torn-down streets of Paris on Twitter and said: “This is PKK in France. The same terrorist organization you support in Syria. The same PKK that has killed thousands of Turks, Kurds & security forces over the last 40 years. Now they are burning the streets of Paris.”
“Will you still remain silent?” Kalın asked.
Having gathered at the central Place de la Republique at around 2.00 p.m. local time (1300GMT) on Saturday, thousands of supporters of the terror group marched to the Boulevard du Temple chanting pro-PKK slogans and carrying posters of the terror group’s so-called leaders.
They then ripped off paving stones and threw them at the police, nearby homes, and shops. The attackers also destroyed bus stops.
The police intervened in the scene in a limited fashion, occasionally using tear gas against the attackers.
On Friday, a 69-year-old gunman in Paris opened fire, killing at least three people and injuring three others, according to local media reports.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said on Sunday that the shooter, named as William M. by the local media, has “pathological” hatred for foreigners and that he “wanted to kill foreigners” after a robbery in his home in 2016.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. Though normally officially banned, the terrorist group also has a presence in numerous European countries.