PARIS
Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorborn Jagland has termed the increase in violence in Turkey as a "very worrying" trend.
"The recent increase of violence in Turkey which has resulted in the deaths of civilians, soldiers and police officers is very worrying. I call on all in Turkey to refrain from violent actions and reactions," Jagland said in a statement Monday.
"Nobody will gain from this escalation. It endangers the progress that has been achieved over the last years. The peace process [solution process] which is essential to stability in the region has to be resumed," he added.
The Turkish government launched the "solution process" with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) -- which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- in 2013 to end the decades-long conflict that has so far claimed an estimated 40,000 lives.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) President Anne Brasseur also strongly condemned the attacks in Turkey.
"Terrorism undermines the very foundations of democratic societies and can never be justified. My thoughts are first and foremost with the victims and their families," Brasseur said in a statement.
Brasseur said that she was "alarmed by the recent escalation of violence in south-east Turkey."
"Violence can never bring a solution. During my recent official visit to Turkey, I encouraged all sides to take further measures to resolve remaining tensions and problems in relation to the Kurdish issue. The escalation of violence should not undermine these efforts, and PACE stands ready to provide any support Turkey may require," the statement added.
On Monday, two suspected woman attackers, identified as members of the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), carried out an armed attack on the U.S. Consulate General in the northern Sariyer district of Istanbul.
Also on Monday, an attack on a police station in Istanbul left one police officer dead and wounded at least 11 people, including four other police officers.
In southeastern Sirnak province, at least one gendarme private was killed in an attack on a military helicopter by "PKK terrorists," the Turkish military said Monday. Also in Sirnak, four policemen were killed and another officer was injured in a roadside bomb attack.
