Davutoğlu receives Tusk, calls on EU for effective cooperation against PKK
by Daily Sabah
ISTANBULSep 11, 2015 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Daily Sabah
Sep 11, 2015 12:00 am
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu met with European Council President Donald Tusk at the Prime Ministry on Thursday and called on the 28-bloc union for strong cooperation in the fight against the PKK, similar to combatting ISIS.
Frustrated with Germany and Belgium's rejection to extradite PKK members to Turkey, Ankara demands its European allies take new measures to counter the terrorist organization's European contingent. The PKK is believed to receive large amounts of financial support from its members in EU countries.
Prior to Thursday's meeting Tusk met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday evening in which he condemned the PKK and vowed to "cooperate" against PKK terror.
"In the last weeks, Turkey has witnessed a number of brutal terrorist attacks. Terrorism, wherever it takes place, whomever it targets and whoever bears the responsibility for it, must be strongly condemned. We are also confronted with terrorist threats in the European Union. Let me reassure you that the European Union wants to cooperate closely with Turkey against terrorism. We continue to be committed to fight against the PKK's presence in Europe," he said.
Commenting on the cease-fire that was brought to an end by the PKK on June 11, Tusk said: "The cease-fire in 2013 between Turkey and the PKK was received with hope and relief by all EU countries. We continue to believe that this was the right choice; in fact there is no reasonable alternative." Ankara said the reconciliation process is "frozen" for now and will only be resumed when the PKK disarms and "buries" its weapons.
Tusk later said the main reason for his visit was the refugee crisis with which the EU is struggling to cope. "I have come to Ankara because I believe that Turkey can play a key role in bringing stability back to the region, especially in Syria. This demands full determination in fighting against terrorism in its every form. There won't be any stability as long as the cards will be dealt by [ISIS], as long as the cards will be dealt by the smugglers and human traffickers," he said.
"Europe finds itself today under huge pressure. We have no doubt that the EU remains the preferred destination for the refugees because Europe is the most open and tolerant society in the world. ... Today I want to declare that the EU is determined to act stronger than ever before. Our cooperation with Turkey on this is our top priority. We should look for answers to the most pressing issue, not only in the EU but also in the region where the sources of this crisis lie," Tusk said.
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