Turkey’s PM condemns latest PKK attacks

ANKARA

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim Thursday condemned a spate of recent deadly attacks by the terrorist PKK.

Speaking at his residence, the Cankaya Palace, at a banquet for foreign chiefs of missions serving in Ankara, he decried terrorist groups’ “brutal” attacks on Turkey’s democracy, the rule of law, and its people, with the cooperation of each other.

“I condemn all terrorist organization in the world, including the PKK, which try to disturb the peace of countries, working to destabilize and sow fear by killing innocents,” he said.

Yildirim expressed condolences to the families of the victims, and wished all the injured a speedy recovery.

“The terrorist organization PKK continues to take the lives of civilians, police officers, soldiers, women, and children, brutally.”

However, he underlined that “they will never ever get any results.”

A trio of deadly PKK attacks in Turkey’s east and southeast on Wednesday and Thursday has so far killed at least nine people and injured hundreds.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, over 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers, and village guards, have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed or neutralized in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.

-Yildirim reproaches the West

Yildirim criticized Western countries' failure to strongly denounce the coup attempt.

“We expected advanced democracies would come here to show their solidarity that day," he said.

The premier added that the world at least needed to condemn the coup attempt quickly and strongly.

- Solidarity and support

Addressing the gathering, Yildirim also thanked all diplomatic mission chiefs for their support in the wake of the defeated July 15 coup.

He mentioned how all the diplomatic mission chiefs visited Turkey’s parliament after the night of the foiled coup to show their support for democracy.

“You showed your solidarity and expressed your countries’ reaction against the coup. I thank all of you for this,” he said.

He said that he wants to stay in contact with the ambassadors and mission chiefs to share their thoughts about the latest developments in Turkey.

Yildirim underlined that Turkey is a state of law and that everyone must obey the law.

Ankara accuses Fetullah Gulen of masterminding the failed coup and has sent the U.S. two official requests for his extradition to face trial.

Turkey's government has said the defeated July 15 coup, which left 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) network.

Gulen is accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

*Hatice Kesgin contributed to this story from Ankara.