At the Fifth Summit of the European Political Community in Budapest on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on European states to step up their efforts against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Gülen movement, and urged “concrete cooperation” in Ankara’s fight against these groups, the Birgün news website reported.
Erdoğan’s appeal underscores Ankara’s long-standing frustration with what it sees as inadequate European measures against organizations it considers a terrorist threat. The PKK, which has been waging an insurgency in Turkey since the 1980s, is recognized as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US. Turkey claims that European countries have not taken adequate measures to curb PKK activity within their borders.
Similarly, the Erdoğan government has urged European countries to take action against the Gülen movement, a faith-based group inspired by the late Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen that Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt. The Gülen movement denies involvement in the coup or any terrorist activity, and despite Turkey’s demands, many European countries have been reluctant to extradite individuals linked to the movement due to concerns about fair trials and human rights.
Critics argue that Erdoğan’s calls for action against these groups are part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent and consolidate power. They point to the Turkish government’s extensive purges following the coup attempt, which led to the dismissal or arrest of tens of thousands of people, including journalists, academics and civil servants, often on flimsy grounds.
In addition, human rights organizations have raised the alarm about the erosion of judicial independence and the rule of law in Turkey. This suggests that Ankara’s demands for cooperation may be driven by domestic political considerations rather than genuine security concerns.