Parliament speaker angry over lack of support to Turkey for fight against terror

ANKARA

Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek. AA Photo

No terrorist organization would be able to survive on its own without international support, Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Çiçek has suggested, accusing the world of "hypocrisy" in the fight against terrorism.

“What is the trouble called the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant [ISIL]? It has turned into a disaster, a phenomenon in which terrorists from 80 countries gather at a certain location and commit crimes against humanity. The 80 countries need to cooperate on the issue of the fight against terror. Is there cooperation? No, we very clearly see that this doesn’t exist, but there is hypocrisy on this issue,” Çiçek said Oct. 30.

He also voiced resentment over the world’s "indifference" to the huge burden on Turkey stemming from the millions of Syrian refugees in Turkish territory.

“‘It is only a terrorist organization if it hurts me.’ If it hurts somebody else, everybody beats around the bush and tries to ease their consciences by simply sending messages of condolence,” Çiçek said, delivering a speech at the International Victims’ Rights Symposium, hosted by the Victims’ Rights Department of the Justice Ministry with the cooperation of the British Embassy in Ankara, the Justice Academy of Turkey and the General Directorate of EU Affairs at the Justice Ministry.

“No terrorist organization can survive for even a few days without receiving international support. If we want to minimize victimization due to terrorism, there is a need for international cooperation,” Çiçek said, adding that no such cooperation currently exists.