Turkey is trying to convince France of combating the Kurdistan Workers Party. For some EU countries combating the PKK is not a priority and they turn a blind eye to PKK activities as long as they don't threat the social order and stability in the country. Despite of this, there have been sporadic arrests some EU countries and some actions against PKK organizations.
Especially Germany took measures to criminalize the PKK's organizations and shut down PKK's media activities. French security forces have detained around 40 alleged PKK members since last June. The senior PKK leader Murat Karayilan warned France that this could disappoint Kurds. According to the PKK, the goal of France and Germany is to keep Turkey busy with fighting in order to stop Turkey's possible EU membership. Pro-PKK organizations demonstrated against the arrests.
Pro-Kurdish organizations often protest in the French city of Strasbourgh, because it's the seat of several European institutions such as the Council of Europe (with its European Court of Human Rights, its European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and its European Audiovisual Observatory) and the Eurocorps as well as the European Parliament and the European Ombudsman of the European Union.
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Turkey is getting ready to host a critical summit, with Chief Constable of France due in attendance next month.
The visit became more important after French police raided the center of a terrorist organization and businessman Cem Uzan took shelter in France.
Turkish chief of police, Oguz Kagan Koksal, will submit a detailed file to his counterpart including activities of the PKK in France, its financial sources and a file regarding the extradition of Cem Uzan, leader of the Young Party.
Hurriyet
