Cicek criticizes EU's defining PKK terrorists as 'activists'

Turkish Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek expressed uneasiness about EU's defining PKK terrorists as "activists". During his meeting with President Jean-Claude Mignon of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Cicek expressed his uneasiness, and said EU's using the word "activist" to define the members of a terrorist group, which was also accepted as a terrorist organization by the UN, disappointed Turkey. In April, in its report on post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, PACE defined PKK terrorists as activists. Turkey has been fighting against terrorism for half a century, said Cicek, adding that Turkey lost more than 40,000 of its citizens due to terrorism. Meanwhile, Mignon offered PACE's condolences referring to the deadly bomb attacks in Reyhanli town of Turkey's southern Hatay province in the weekend. Mignon also appreciated Turkey's efforts to host Syrian citizens escaped from the violence in their country and had been staying in Turkey.