Turkish citizens protest France for 'supporting' PKK

ANKARA (AA) - Families of martyred Turkish citizens, veterans and village guards protested in front of the French embassy in the Turkish capital Ankara for "supporting" the terrorist organization PKK on Friday.

The group of around 200 people gathered in front of the French embassy. They carried banners saying "Terror topples you too", "Stop supporting terror". The group also stood still paying homage to martyrs and chanted the Turkish national anthem.

In a statement on behalf of the July 15 Democracy Martyrs, Veterans and Terror Victims Association chairman Ziya Sozen said that they had previously gathered in front of the German and Belgian embassies to protest their alleged support of the PKK.

"Of course we are giving France back in their fight against terror and we support France for sure. As Turkey and Turkish people we condemn the terrorist attacks in France and we think we have right to expect the same sensibility from France," Sozen said.

Sozen said France had not condemned terrorist attacks when they occurred in Turkey.

"We fiercely and vehemently condemn France and other European countries [...] for their two-faced manners," Sozen added.

"The PKK members you call innocent have martyred our district governor, who was serving for Turkish people," he said. "It should not be forgotten that whoever protects and supports terrorists is the partner of the murder committed by terrorists."

Muhammet Fatih Safiturk, the governor of Mardin's Derik district, succumbed to wounds early Friday sustained in a PKK terrorist attack on his office a day earlier.

The group left a black wreath in front of the French embassy. Some threw eggs but Turkish riot police interfered.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU – resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.

Since then, PKK terrorists have martyred nearly 800 members of security forces and claimed the lives of over 310 civilians, including women and children, while more than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended in army operations.