Turkey: Germany, France obstructing fight against PKK

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday accused France and Germany of obstructing Ankara's fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "The West doesn't want us to solve this (PKK) problem," Erdogan told the private NTV television network during an interview. "Let me say it openly. Germany doesn't want it, France doesn't want it and they are not helping us on this issue. On the contrary, they are letting the terrorist chiefs freely circulate in their countries." His accusations come as Turkey has witnessed a sharp escalation of Kurdish rebel attacks targeting its security forces in the southeast in recent months, triggering fully-fledged military operations in the region. The PKK, which took up arms in the southeast in 1984 sparking a conflict that claimed about 45,000 lives, is blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, as well as the European Union and the United States. Erdogan also lashed out at Scandinavian countries for harbouring the PKK. "On the one hand, you will stand up at the EU and label the PKK as a terrorist organisation and then you will allow their representatives to freely circulate in your countries," said Erdogan. "They are under your protection and you are condoning their activities," he said. Erdogan was referring to PKK financial assets in Europe and the drug trade on which the group is believed to rely on to fund its rebellion.