Ankara slams Belgian ruling protecting PKK terrorists

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey on Jan. 29 slammed a court ruling in Belgium blocking the prosecution of 36 suspects linked to the terrorist group YPG/PKK.

A Belgian Supreme Court ruling upholding a 2010 decision not to prosecute YPG/PKK-linked suspects amounts to an explicit attempt to undermine the law, said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

The ruling “exonerates a terrorist organization with ideological motives” and is especially egregious “as it comes from a country that presumes to lecture Turkey on the rule of law," said the statement.

The ruling amounts to clear support for the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and the EU and is responsible for the death of over 40,000 Turkish citizens, including civilians, children, and even infants, said the ministry.

The court decision is based on the misunderstanding that even if a terror group massacres people in other countries, there is no problem if it launches no attacks in my country, said the statement. 

'Hypocrisy' which encourages terrorism

"It is an example of hypocrisy; ignores the fact that terrorism poses threats to all nations and encourages other terrorist organizations," the ministry added.

The ministry said the ruling is based on political rather than legal criteria and contains grave contradictions.

The Belgian decision “is inconsistent with the acquis communautaire of the EU which Belgium hosts as a founding member," and poses an obstacle for Belgium fulfilling its international counter-terrorism obligations in relation, it added.

The ministry urged the Belgian government to take all necessary steps to correct this contradictory ruling and to properly counter the terrorist YPG/PKK.

Not only the YPG/PKK but also other terrorist groups such as ISIL will exploit this irresponsible ruling, warned the ministry.

Turkey expects all responsible stakeholders to condemn such attempts to weaken international counter-terrorism efforts.

"Standing on the right side of the history under all circumstances, Turkey will continue its fight against all forms of terrorism, which is one of biggest threats to humanity, both legally and through effective measures on the ground until the eradication of terrorist organizations," it said.

Separately, Turkey's foreign minister also condemned the Belgian ruling, saying it has nothing to do with the law.

"This decision is ideological and political. It is a hypocritical decision made by those who try to teach us law with fear," Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu wrote on Twitter.