Paris protests expose PKK’s true face: Defense minister

ANKARA

The violent protests by the supporters of the PKK exposed the “true face” of the group, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Dec. 25.

“The snake fed by the French began to bite themselves. Everyone should now see the true face of this terrorist organization,” Akar said, elaborating on the recent incidents carried out by the supporters of the PKK in Paris.

“They saw how troublesome it is to help and enable terrorists,” the minister said, visiting Turkish forces on the Syrian border.

The street protest broke out after a 69-year-old white French gunman opened fire at the Ahmet Kaya Cultural Center in Paris, killing three.

The shots at the cultural center and a nearby hairdressing salon on Dec. 23 sparked panic in the city’s bustling 10th district, home to several shops.

Thousands of protesters, including PKK supporters, gathered at Place de la Republique in central Paris on Dec. 24 afternoon. Over 1,000 people held a similar rally in the southern port city of Marseille that ended in clashes with officers, and at least two police cars were set on fire.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) have shattered the corridor that the PKK aimed to establish in the south of Türkiye, the minister also said.

“The successful operations of the Turkish Armed Forces shattered the terror corridor that was intended to be established in the south of Türkiye. Is this danger still there? There is. Is there such a purpose? There is,” Akar stated.

“We will continue our struggle against this, and we will do whatever needs to be done. No one should expect us to tolerate the terrorist elements nesting near our border,” the minister added.