World with Turkey against terror groups targeting democracy, says PM

PM Davutoğlu, speaking before Parliament met on Wednesday to discuss the threat posed by terrorism, said the main objective of terrorist ISIS, PKK and DHKP-C is to harm Turkish democracy and that the world is united behind Turkey in its fight against terrorism



Turkey is facing a "conscious, malicious and planned" escalation of terrorist attacks since the June 7 election, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said during his address to the Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday before a special parliamentary session on terrorism. Davutoğlu said 657 terrorist acts have taken place in Turkey since June 7, which led to the deaths of least 52 people, including 11 security personnel, and injured 204 people, including 94 security officials. "Three terrorist organizations, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), the PKK and the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), have begun conducting simultaneous attacks on Turkey," he said, adding that the attacks are aimed at Turkey's democracy, public safety and international reputation. Davutoğlu also thanked the countries and international cooperation that support Turkey and condemned the attacks on its soils. In a televised interview early this week, he said that Turkey had received messages of support and condolences from 121 countries and organizations.The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, Masoud Barzani, also extended his support for its military operations. "Turkey's military involvement in this war conducted by the U.S.-led alliance will dramatically change the state of affairs," Barzani said.Davutoğlu told AK Party parliamentarians that ISIS, the PKK and the DHKP-C terrorist organizations are feeding from various sources, and "they are subservient to centers of evil that are united around a shared goal."He also slammed political parties, especially the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which allegedly ignored his call for signing a joint declaration against terrorism after the deadly bomb attack in the southern town of Suruç. "The HDP avoided signing a joint declaration. Can we be sure that those who did not even condemn [the attacks] are fighting against terrorism?" Davutoğlu asked.Referring to the HDP, he said: "Everyone must reveal their clear position. When they condemn the PKK's terror as they condemn ISIS's terror, we can respond to their calls, sit and talk." Davutoğlu added that whoever takes a clear position on terrorism, the doors to cooperation would be opened to them.Last week, Turkey launched airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Kurdish camps in Iraq. Turkey has been hit by violence since a suicide bomb attack by a suspected ISIS supporter killed 32 activists in Suruç on July 20. More than 1,300 suspected ISIS, PKK and DHKP-C supporters have been detained since July 24, and military sources said 261 terrorists were killed in Turkey's airstrikes against PKK's hideouts and camps in northern Iraq.Furthermore, Parliament met Wednesday in an emergency session to look into the deadly terrorist bomb attack in Suruç, as well as other terror acts in southeastern Turkey. Deputy PM Bülent Arınç said during the session in the parliament that out of the 1,061 suspects detained by Turkish security forces since July 24 in anti-terror operations, 545 have been referred to court by public prosecutors, 172 of whom have been convicted. Of those arrested, 31 are charged with having ties with ISIS.