Turkey says no country can combat terrorism alone

By Satuk Bugra Kutlugun

ANKARA

Turkey's presidential spokesman Saturday said that no country can combat terrorism alone.

"The Barcelona attack sent shockwaves around the world and reminded us all once again that no country can combat terrorism alone," Ibrahim Kalin, presidential spokesman, wrote in a column for Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper.

In the column titled “Barcelona attack and the fight against terrorism”, the presidential spokesman reminded that the Barcelona attack was the latest in a series of assaults by terrorists using vehicles to target innocent civilians.

“Since the July 2016 attack in Nice, which claimed 86 victims on the renowned Promenade des Anglais, terrorists have carried out similar attacks in Paris, London, Berlin and Stockholm," he noted.

Kalin said international cooperation and a genuine commitment by all governments to fight against all forms of terrorism is "a key to success in this area".

"In this age of globalization and growing interdependence, we all have to remember the fundamental fact that nobody is safe until we all are safe. No country can claim immunity from terrorism," he said.

"Yet irresponsible politics and populism get in the way of meaningful progress in this area since certain countries make a false distinction between good terrorists and bad terrorists," the spokesman wrote.

Kalin said Turkish people know "such double standards all too well, since the world has been turning a blind eye to acts of terrorism by the PKK".

"The support for the PKK's Syrian affiliate Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia is justified on the grounds that this group fights Daesh terrorists in Syria. But the reality is that you cannot fight a terrorist organization with another one," he added.

"The PKK's constant terrorist attacks get little or no coverage in the Western media because, one is propelled to think, they do not target western interests. Last week alone, the PKK killed Eren Bulbul, a 15-year old from the Black Sea region, along with several security forces. We have not heard any foul cries or strong protests from Western politicians or the media. Why?" he asked.

Kalin highlighted that terrorism is a "global phenomenon" and requires "global partnership and cooperation."

"But it also requires consistency in approach and resilience in execution. It is a political and moral failure to distinguish between good terrorists and bad terrorists in the name of national interest or global ambitions. No national interest can be protected if we fail to unite against terrorism in all of its forms," the spokesman added.