Turkish President Accuses EU of Harboring Terror Groups

Turkey's president has refused to align the country's anti-terror laws with the EU legislative, saying Europe lecturing Ankara is a 'black comedy' because it offers safe havens for terrorist organizations' political wings and refuses to mend its own flawed laws, Russia Today reports.

 

"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," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in Ankara on Tuesday.

Turkey continues to maintain strained relations with the EU over the migrant crisis, as Ankara's desire is to join the bloc. Meanwhile, it has been pushing for a lifting of the visa regime for Turkish citizens, and last week, Brussels, urged Ankara to change its laws on terrorism and align them with the EU standards. The Turkish chief of state refused.

 

In his Tuesday speech Erdogan argued that it is Europe that should be amending its laws.

"First of all, we expect EU countries to fix their own laws that support terrorism," Erdogan said, calling on EU to first answer why it allowed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) activists to set up tents in front of the European Parliament in March.

Under the existing anti-terrorism laws allow Turkey to press terrorism charges against critical journalists and academics. Erdogan stressed that even without visa liberalization, Turkey would take its own path.

"There is no need to make big deal of it," he said, adding that Turkey needs to 'stand upright' and not 'lie down'.