PKK still on terrorist list, the Council of Europe confirms

STRASBOURG/ANKARA

PACE says it is hoping for a political solution to Turkey’s Kurdish issue. REUTERS photo

The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said April 24 that he would pay an official visit to Turkey between May 13 and 15, while also saying that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was still on the European Unions’ terrorist groups list, as the controversial PACE assessment on Turkey sparked debate by changing the terminology for describing the PKK militants to “activists.”

“During this visit I would also like to mention the negotiations between the Turkish authorities and Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the PKK, an organization which is still included in the EU list of terrorist groups,” said Jean-Claude Mignon, the President of PACE, in a written statement yesterday, condemning all forms of terrorism. 

His visit will come after Turkish politicians slammed the use of the wording “PKK activists” in the explanatory memorandum prepared by the PACE rapporteur on Turkey Josette Durrieu. Meanwhile, elaborating on the PACE latest assessment on Turkey, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the issue had nothing to do with removing the PKK from the EU’s list of terrorist organizations. k HDN