Despite its recognition as a terrorist group by the European Union, Türkiye often criticizes European countries for tolerating activities by the PKK. The threat by the terrorist group to the continent was among those covered in the annual report of Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency.
The "European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report" released on Wednesday revealed that members of some European far-left groups and anarchists have been training and fighting with PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, southeastern Türkiye and more recently in northeastern Syria, where most of the terrorist group’s attacks have taken place.
"The PKK is very active in the EU, mostly using member states as bases for administrative, recruitment and financing purposes,” it said, adding that drug trafficking and fraud are among its main income sources in the EU, which are used to finance its terrorist campaigns. It said the PKK also operates an extensive propaganda apparatus across Europe. According to the agency, in 2022, Germany arrested four people and Italy one person for their connections to the PKK.
In its over 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., the U.K. and the EU, has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
The report says the PKK collects large amounts of money within the EU through their annual international fundraising campaign "kampanya." It says the support for the PKK has been "a long-standing issue for the left-wing extremist scene" and noted that some left-wing extremists have also been "training and fighting" with forces linked to the terrorist group in conflict zones for years. "Some member states reported the return of (foreign terrorist fighters) from northeastern Syria in 2022. These returnees are combat-trained and may, therefore, pose a threat to the member states," the report said, referring to a part of Syria occupied by the PKK's Syrian wing, the YPG.
It pointed out that the terrorist group continued to focus on its propaganda, recruitment and financing activities to support its activities in Iraq, Syria and Türkiye. "One arrest in Italy was carried out in connection with the PKK. Four arrests in Germany (Bremen, Kassel, Leverkusen and Nuremberg) for ethno-nationalist offenses were connected to the PKK," it said.
The report highlighted that the ongoing operations by Türkiye against the terrorist group and the continued imprisonment of its leader Abdullah Öcalan motivated supporters to continue contributions and donations to the group.
"The proceeds raised through various activities are intended to support the extensive propaganda apparatus of the PKK in the EU, provide humanitarian aid to (areas controlled by the PKK) and finance the YPG," the report stated.
"Illegal sources for the PKK’s funding include drug trafficking and fraud carried out in the EU. PKK members with EU citizenship or permanent residence in member states have traveled to the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq to take part in the armed conflicts. Their travels are often facilitated by the main organization, which also enables PKK members to return to the EU. PKK propaganda is concentrated on lobbying for the release of the PKK leader, Abdullah Öcalan, removing the PKK from the list of terrorist organizations in the EU, and establishing a permanent and sovereign Kurdish state under PKK leadership. Several calls were made online to stop money flows to Türkiye and to boycott Turkish products and services," it said.
The PKK presence in Europe is on the agenda of Türkiye's ties with Sweden, amid the Nordic country's bid for NATO membership. Türkiye rejected approving Sweden's inclusion in the military alliance as long as it tolerated the activities of the terrorist groups, namely, the PKK and harboring its members. Sweden has been the scene of several rallies by the supporters of terrorist groups.
