Turkey: Int'l treaty on counter-terror comes into force

By Sena Guler

ANKARA (AA) - The additional protocol of the first international treaty on the foreign terrorists, which was signed in Latvian capital Riga in 2015, has entered into force in Turkey on Friday.

In a statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “The Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism’, the first international treaty addressing the foreign terrorist fighters phenomenon that was signed in Riga on 22 October 2015, has been recently ratified by our country and entered into force in Turkey as of today.”

It reminded that the Additional Protocol had been signed by 40 member states of the Council of Europe and the EU.

Together with Turkey, the number of states which ratified and enforced the Protocol have reached to 12, it added.

“Turkey significantly contributed to the drafting and prompt signing of the Additional Protocol, which not only stipulates strengthening the cooperation among the members of the Council of Europe, but also obligates them to criminalize a number of acts, such as taking part in an association or a group for the purpose of terrorism, receiving terrorist training, travelling abroad for the purposes of terrorism and organizing, financing or facilitating such travels,” the statement said.

Noting that Turkey would continue to support to the international efforts against terrorism, which it described as “a major threat to the global peace and security,” it said the country had already been combatting several terrorist organizations at the same time, such as PKK/PYD/YPG, Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and Daesh.