Turkish PM rebukes European countries over fight against PKK

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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"All EU-member countries labeled the PKK as a terrorist organization; but why do they fail to act in line with that label?" Erdogan told at a conference at the University of Oxford Center for Islamic Studies in Britain, where he attended the G-20 Summit. 

He said these countries arrest PKK leaders on their territories, and yet do not extradite them to Turkey, who has long said the EU is not doing enough to fight the operations of the terror organization in Europe.

"For instance, they know the whereabouts of its leaders. They arrest them. When we want extradition of the terrorists, they refuse it and send them to the mountains in Arbil. I explained our concerns once again during the G-20 Summit," he said.

Assurances of cutting financial resources to terrorists in the struggle with terrorism have also failed to be acted upon, he added.

The PKK, which launches cross-border attacks on Turkey from bases in northern Iraq, is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey and much of the international community, including the EU and the United States.