Turkish FM urges Paris not to allow "black propaganda" over murders
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told his French counterpart Thursday on the phone that "black propaganda" against Turkey was spread after the deadly 23 December attack on Kurds in Paris, and urged the French administration "not to allow it," Turkish state news agency AA reported.
Cavusoglu complained to Catherine Colonna about the attendance of French politicians in protests "in which flags of the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers' Party and posters of its leader were waved," Reuters said, citing Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Ankara has been accused by representatives of the Kurdish community in France for allegedly being involved in the attack that left three Kurds dead, including Emine Kara (Evin Goyi), who was a senior official of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) - an umbrella organization for several Kurdish political parties - and Mir Perwer (Mehmet Sirin Aydin), a political refugee and artist.
Cavusoglu said that it was "unacceptable" for French politicians "to make appearances in photos with the leader and banners of the terrorist group displayed behind them."
Turkish government media claim that the demonstrations in protest against the triple murder have been staged by the supporters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - designated a terror group by Ankara and he EU - and that they led to grave acts of violence and clashes with security forces in Paris, while Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said a few dozen protesters were responsible for the violence, adding there were 11 arrests and around 30 minor injuries.