Turkey leads Europe in fight against drug trafficking

By Cigdem Alyanak, Sefa Mutlu and Halil Ibrahim Baser

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey leads the way in Europe in fight against drug trafficking according to last year’s statistics, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said late Friday.

Yildirim attended a local event in Istanbul as part of the "Green Crescent Week" celebrated to raise awareness on drug addiction.

The prime minister said the rate of drug abuse in the 15-24 age bracket is as high as 29.7 percent in Europe, while it is 2.7 percent in Turkey.

Warning against potential trends, he said: "They will be our future. It is our responsibility to raise them in the best way."

Turkey has struck a major blow on drug vendors in recent months, rounding up large quantities of marijuana in narcotics operations, he said.

Noting that drug trafficking is a main source of financing for terrorism, Yildirim said the recent operations "inflicted a heavy blow on PKK terrorist organization".

More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015. It is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

During Friday's event, the Turkish PM received an award in recognition for his efforts from the Green Crescent organization in Turkey that hosted the event.