Turkish FM slams differentiation of terrorist groups

By Kasim Ileri

NEW YORK

Speaking to the UN General Assembly, Turkey’s foreign minister on Tuesday slammed countries which draw distinctions between various terror groups, such as Daesh and the PKK.

“When Daesh kills innocent civilians, we all react, and this is the right thing to do,” Mevlut Cavusoglu told a General Assembly meeting on “Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace.”

But, he added: “When FETO or the PKK/PYD/YPG kill innocent civilians, some countries choose to ignore it. Because these terrorist groups might be useful for them somewhere else.”

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup in Turkey of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

“When there is a terror attack in a Western capital, we see it in the headlines. When there is a terror attack in the Middle East or in Africa, we don’t hear about it,” said Cavusoglu. “Is human life more valuable in certain regions?”


UN reforms

Turkey’s top diplomat also called for reforms to the UN, saying now these are “more important than ever.”

“The world is bigger than five, but the Security Council in its current form is not bigger than the P5,” Cavusoglu said referring to the Security Council’s permanent members: China, Russia, France, the U.K., and the U.S.

“The Security Council functions if its agenda fits the national interest of the P5 counties.

“The council is supposed to bring peace and prevent massacres, but the veto power hinders the council from fulfilling its responsibilities,” he added.

“If we really want to build and sustain peace, the Security Council must be more representative, more transparent, more inclusive, and more politically relevant and more democratic,” he added.

Cavusoglu later told reporters that Turkey’s upcoming early elections on June 24 should not be used as a “domestic political fodder” in some European countries.

Late on Monday Cavusoglu met his German counterpart Heiko Maas to discuss global peace.

It was the first face-to-face meeting between the top Turkish and German diplomats since Maas’ appointment in March.

On Monday, Turkey made a formal request to Germany to set up polling stations at Turkish consulates for the June 24 polls, officials said on Monday.

Earlier today, Cavusoglu met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria and the Cyprus issue.