"For many years, European governments and the EU avoided confronting the PKK. In 1998, after Turkey convinced Syria to expel PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan—he had enjoyed safe haven in Damascus since the 1980s—Greece and Italy provided Ocalan with refuge. At the time, Ocalan traveled on a Greek-Cypriot passport. Though Ocalan was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, based on an arrest warrant in Germany, the Italian government refused to honor the notice. The EU designated the PKK as a terror group only in May 2002, a month after the group no longer formally existed, having changed its name to the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK). Accordingly, in the 1990s, thanks to European pusillanimity, the PKK developed a sophisticated infrastructure for fundraising, propaganda, and recruitment in Europe.
Only since they were forced to face a terrorism problem at home have European states taken genuine steps against the PKK. Turkey’s improved prospects for EU accession and the fact that the PKK is intent on using violence to sabotage that process have also helped convince some European countries that should they not delay action against the PKK. In April 2004, the EU designated as a terrorist group the Kurdistan Society Congress (Kongra-Gel), the new name KADEK (the earlier PKK) had adopted in May 2003. In November 2004, Dutch security forces shut down a PKK training camp in Liempde, Netherlands, arresting twenty-nine people who were, according to Dutch authorities, “training to prepare for the armed struggle of the PKK in Turkey by committing terrorist attacks.”"
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2413
Only since they were forced to face a terrorism problem at home have European states taken genuine steps against the PKK. Turkey’s improved prospects for EU accession and the fact that the PKK is intent on using violence to sabotage that process have also helped convince some European countries that should they not delay action against the PKK. In April 2004, the EU designated as a terrorist group the Kurdistan Society Congress (Kongra-Gel), the new name KADEK (the earlier PKK) had adopted in May 2003. In November 2004, Dutch security forces shut down a PKK training camp in Liempde, Netherlands, arresting twenty-nine people who were, according to Dutch authorities, “training to prepare for the armed struggle of the PKK in Turkey by committing terrorist attacks.”"
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2413
Vastaukset 1
Vanhimmat
As far as could recall, at last fifty ears backwar
there was the same problem with the Kurd fighter. In Those days the media was not so powerful,not so great as it is at present days, there was the only international news to be seen in a some rare issue of magazin but I're member an article telling the struggle of kurds with headlines as 'Idän Hurjat Kurdit',
I am sure that the real idea of that enless struggle,which was aimed sometime against,Persia, sometime againt Iran sometime agaist Turky - never becan clear to the majority of europen people.