Iran Press/Asia: According to Anadolu news agency, speaking at a dinner given in his, as well as his spouse's honor by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized Germany about the Kurdistan Workers' Party(PKK) and the Fethullah Gulen movement.
"Thousands of members of PKK, which is recognized as a terror group by the EU, walk freely in Germany", Erdogan stressed.
Turkish President said PKK members demonstrate in major German streets and hold posters of jailed PKK terrorist leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
Erdogan said these activities were prohibited according to the German law and asked: "Then why are these [events] allowed?"
Turkish president said a so-called journalist who was convicted to five years in prison in Turkey had fled to Germany and was being treated with great respect in Germany.
Erdogan was referring Can Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily, who was convicted by a Turkish court for espionage.
In May, 2016, the 14th High Criminal Court in Istanbul had convicted Dundar and Erdem Gul, another journalist of the daily, following the publication of images purporting to show arms being transported to Syria in trucks belonging to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, also known as the MIT.
That person has not been extradited to Turkey although there exists an agreement on the extradition of prisoners between both countries, Erdogan said.
PKK has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.
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The Turkish government has so far submitted a total of at least seven requests to US officials concerning the extradition of Gulen, but Washington has refused to extradite the figure, arguing that it has not yet received any sufficient evidence, required by US courts, to hand over the cleric.
In response, Ankara has on several occasions threatened that it would reconsider its ties with the US if Washington failed to extradite Gulen.
The Turkish government alleges that “FETO terrorists” are behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Gulen has already called on Ankara to end its “witch hunt” of his followers, a move he says is aimed at “weeding out anyone it deems disloyal to President Erdogan and his regime.”
Tens of thousands of people have been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of having links to Gulen and the failed coup. More than 110,000 others, including military staff, civil servants and journalists have been sacked or suspended from work over the same accusations.
The international community and rights groups have been highly critical of the Turkish president over the massive dismissals and the crackdown.
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