EU backs Turkey’s fight against the PKK

ANKARA

The European Union reiterated its solidarity with Turkey “in fighting terrorism and violence,” in the wake of Thursday’s bomb attack which martyred seven police officers in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir.

“The Turkish authorities are facing difficult challenges, due also to violent acts by the PKK,” an EU spokesperson said, confirming the union’s full support for Turkey.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini personally extended her deepest condolences for those martyred in the attack to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during this week’s Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, the statement added.

“A genuine political dialogue in the framework of the Kurdish settlement process is the only way to achieve a peaceful and sustainable solution.

“Turkey should re-engage in the Kurdish peace process, which produced so many positive and promising results in the recent past,” the statement added.

Tension is high in southeastern Turkey since the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, over 350 members of the security forces have been martyred and thousands of PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.