Paris calls on Ankara to distinguish the PKK from the Kurdish community
Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, October 21, 2022 (Illustration image).
© OLIVIER DOULIERY / AFP
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The head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna invited Ankara to distinguish the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and the European Union, from the Kurdish community, the ministry said.
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Catherine Colonna spoke on the phone Thursday with her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, a week after the murder in Paris of three Kurds attributed to a sixty-year-old claiming a racist act.
Ankara had summoned the French ambassador to Turkey.
According to the Quai d'Orsay press release, Ms. Colonna "
recalled that the PKK, registered on the European list of terrorist organizations, should be distinguished from other non-violent Kurdish movements
", also stressing "
France's attachment to freedom of the press and freedom of expression
”.
The minister also “
underlined the heinous nature
” of the December 23 attack.
“
Black propaganda
” of the PKK, according to Ankara
She assured her counterpart "
that additional measures had been taken to ensure the security of the places where the Kurdish community meets
" and that "
the protection of Turkish diplomatic rights throughout the national territory had been enhanced
".
No details have been communicated on these measures, announced previously by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin.
During this bilateral meeting, Mr. Cavusoglu denounced “
the black propaganda
” launched by circles linked to the PKK and other Turkish Kurdish organizations, indicated the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara.
He also protested against "
the appearance of French politicians in front of photos of terrorists and rags from the terrorist organization (the PKK, editor's note)
", believing that "
these propaganda activities should not be authorized
".
Bilateral relations between Paris and Ankara are strained on multiple issues, including Turkey's role within NATO, Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean and migrants.
►Also read: Report France - The fears and doubts of the Kurdish community in France after the attack in Paris
(With
AFP
)
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Catherine Colonna