Parliamentary group urges Russia to shut down office linked to terrorist PYD

Turkey-Russia inter-parliamentary friendship group's head Monday called on Russia to shut down terrorist PKK's Syrian offshoot Democratic Union Party's (PYD) Rojava representative office in Moscow.

In a meeting with Russian parliamentarian delegation in Turkish parliament, Ziya Altunyaldız called on Russia to cut ties with the terrorist organization.

Altunyaldız said that Rojava representative office should end its cultural activities. "The cultural activities by terrorist organizations will just serve terrorism."

"We expect from our friend Russia not to allow PKK to carry out its propaganda and members' recruitment," said the lawmaker from Turkey's central Konya province.

The PYD-linked Rojava representative office was opened in Moscow Feb. 10, 2016.

The PYD is the Syrian branch of the PKK terrorist network, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years. Turkey considers the PKK, PYD and YPG as one and the same.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU as well as Turkey -- resumed its armed campaign in July 2015. Since then, it has killed more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including women and children.

The State Duma's deputy Umakhan Umakhanov, for his part, said that Russia-Turkey relations have been improving day by day.

Umakhanov attached importance of cooperation in fighting terrorism. "Terrorism is not only an enemy of a city, a region or a state but also of the entire world."