Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

REVUE DE PRESSE-PRESS REVIEW-BERHEVOKA ÇAPÊ-RwISTA STAMPA-DENTRO DE LA PRENSA-BASIN ÖZETi
Turkish Interior Minister Nahit Menteli8
Minister Mente~ewarns Europe:
PKK involved in drug trade
Interior Minister Ment~e says PKK is financing terrorist activities
with drug trade in Europe. Interpol secretary confirms Mentese' s claim
Turkish Daily News
AN KARA- Turkish Interior Minister Nahit Mente~e
took part in the Group Pompediu, the second Pan-European
ffilnisterial meeting held in Strasbourg a few days ago.
He warned the delegates that the outlawed Kurdistan
Workers' party (PKK) was very active in the drug trade in
Europe. Mente~e said that the PKK was dealing in drugs
in order to finance its terrorist activities against the Turkish
state and its civilians.
In outlining the implications of activities such as terror.
ism and drug trafficking, Mente~e said that the PKK's activities
were not only hilnnful to Turkey but posed a serious
threat to the stability of Europe and threatened the
lives of civilians. Mente~e reminded the delegates at the
meeting that some European countries urgently needed to
refonn their laws, and that their cooperatIOn with Turkey
in stopping the drug trade was absolutely vital. "Drug
trade In Europe," said Mente~e, "is a very serious problem
and stopping such activities is in the best interest of all
countries.
The PKK is taking advantage of the fact that Turkey
fonns a bridge between the drug producing countries in
the East and fhe consuming countnes in the West For this
reason;:Europe's involvement in fighting against drug
trafficking is Imperative."
At the same meeting Interpol's General Secretary Raymond
Kendall confinned that, like other terrorist organizations,
the PIG( was involved in a very lucrative drug
trade in a number of European countries. Kendall said that
there was concrete evidence of PKK involvement in drug
dealing, adding that they were looking into the matter.
Kendall said that terrorist groups like the PKK usually
resorted to drug trading, the best and the quickest way to
finance their operations. He explained that they bought
~uns and logistic equ!pment.whe~ ~~untries or organizations
stopped supportmg their activIties and cut financial
aid.
Kendall said that cooperation among countries was vital
if drug trading was to be stopped. "The intelligence units
which were set up aoainst each other during the Cold War
should be mobilized to combat. the"drug trade, a problem
common to all European countnes, Kendall said.
Kendall pointed out that the drug route in Eastern Europe
had now shifted to the South because of the war in
fonner Yugoslavia, and that the PKK was very involved
in drug traâing in the area. "This shift is threatening the
democracy that is developing in this region," he said.
In relation to the level. of cooperation between Turkey
and Interpol, Kendall SaId that Interpol had an office in
Ankara and Istanbul. He ~vent on. to say that! through
these offices, Turkey's ro!e m operallOns was ~n l~pOrtant
one and that its contribullons to Interpol hild been mvaIu~
able.
The Group Pompediu wa.s fö~med in. 1971 under ~he
wing of the European Council, wllh the aIm of combanmg
the drug trade.
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