Turkey, US working hard on fight against PKK: Clinton
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
The 29-member Global Counter-Terrorism Forum gathered in Istanbul. REUTERS photo
No country is immune from the threat of terrorism, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said, adding that terrorism has neither a religion nor an identity.“We cannot win the fight against terrorism unless we join hands. Any counter-terrorism strategy, no matter how successful on its own merits, can lead to tangible results only if it enjoys international cooperation and the true support of other nations. Any loophole in this chain and terrorists will immediately zero in on that soft spot and capitalize on it,” Davutoğlu said during the opening speech of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum.
The 29-member Global Counter-Terrorism Forum gathered in Istanbul with 17 foreign ministers attending, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Support from Clinton
Davutoğlu drew attention to activities of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) in Turkey and abroad. “The terrorist organization conducts outrageous and indiscriminate attacks targeting our civilian population and law enforcement personnel alike. We expect full support in this fight from the global community, in line with their international obligations.
The PKK should not be able to continue its activities abroad, particularly in Europe, under seemingly legal structures and façade organizations. Their continuing ability to do so is an affront to us all”, he said. Five working groups were formed during the meeting, three of which are regional and two of which are thematic, Davutoğlu said. For her part, Clinton said they are in close cooperation with Turkey over fight against terrorism .
“We are learning new things day by day in how to support Turkey's fight against PKK.” Clinton presented a plaque to the former Turkish ambassador to Libya, for his efforts to save the lives of the American journalists during the war in Libya last year.
