EU safe haven for terrorist groups: Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused European countries of sheltering the political wings of terrorist groups.
"European countries continue to be safe havens for the political extensions of terrorist groups. When this is the case, it's a piece of black comedy that the EU criticizes our country over the definition of terrorism," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara on Tuesday.
His remarks were made in reaction to a request by the European Union for Turkey to revamp its anti-terror laws and bring them up to European standards.
“First of all, we expect EU countries to fix their own laws that support terrorism," he added.
Last week, the EU asked member states to exempt Turkish nationals from visa requirement in return for Turkey curbing refugees' flow to Europe as required under a March bilateral agreement, which also stipulates that Turkey must meet certain criteria, including changing its anti-terrorism laws that critics say are too broad and infringe on basic rights.
Europe is facing an unprecedented influx of refugees who are fleeing conflict-ridden zones in Africa and the Middle East, particularly Syria.
Turkey has been implicated in supporting the Takfiris by getting engaged in illegal Daesh oil transactions, providing military and logistic support for them, and facilitating the terrorists’ entrance into the Syrian territory after the crisis began in 2011.
On Monday, Erdogan suggested that Turkey would not meet the EU’s demand for his country to reform its anti-terrorism legislation. He also lambasted the EU over leaving Turkey “alone” in what he claimed was his country’s fight against Daesh.
"In Syria none of those who say they are fighting Daesh have suffered the kind of losses that we have, nor paid such a heavy price as us," he said.
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