Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu told reporters at the scene of Sunday's terrorist attack by the PKK/YPG that the suspects, if they were not caught, were plotting to flee into neighboring Greece. A Syrian national who planted the bomb that claimed six lives was captured earlier, while at least 46 others were detained in connection with the attack on Istanbul's Istiklal Street.
Greece often comes under fire by Ankara for harboring terror suspects, from members of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) to members of the PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG.
Türkiye has long decried Europe's tolerance toward the PKK, as numerous EU countries have allowed PKK propaganda and recruitment to take place within their borders, ignoring the group's status as a terrorist group.
Greece has long been accused of being a favorite hideout for terrorists from the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C) and the PKK. Those fleeing Türkiye have taken shelter in refugee camps in Lavrion near Athens under the guise of being asylum-seekers, especially in the 1980s. Despite the closure of Lavrion in 2013 amid pressure from Türkiye, Greece continues to be the primary destination for DHKP-C terrorists.
Recent footage from the camp shows that it has turned into a base for PKK terrorists. The camp resembles a terrorist base, with terrorist symbols and pictures of the PKK's imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Öcalan adorning its walls.
