European Enlargement Commissioner Hahn refrains from calling PKK terrorists

European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn released a statement on Tuesday, Aug. 3 acknowledging that Turkey has the right to prevent and react to any form of terrorism, which must be unequivocally condemned.

Hahn held a phone call with EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır on July 28 and discussed the recent terror incident. In the phone conversation, which was held on Hahn's request, Bozkır explained Ankara's efforts to counter Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), PKK and Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) terrorism and drew attention to deliberate and opportunistic misinformation campaigns that attempt to undermine Turkey's efforts to counter terrorism.

A press release from the European Commission regarding Hahn's call came eight days later saying Hahn acknowledged the commitment of Turkish authorities in stepping up the fight against ISIS and re-affirmed the EU's strong support for these efforts. At the same time, Hahn expressed the EU's deep concern about recent developments, which have had a negative impact on the government's reconciliation process with the PKK. Without mentioning the PKK, which ended a two-year cease-fire and killed more than nine security officers and wounded more than 40 civilians and security officers in 11 days, Hahn said that Turkey's response to the PKK must be proportionate.

On April 2, 2004, the Council of Europe added the PKK to its list of terrorist organizations and the U.S. and NATO still recognize the PKK as a terrorist group. In June, European Parliament voted on a proposal to remove the PKK from an EU list of terrorist organizations, but it was rejected.