UPDATE - Turkey: PM urges Europe to fight PKK drug dealers

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM YILDIRIM

ANKARA (AA) - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim Tuesday called on European countries to step up their fight against the PKK, accusing the terrorist group of “poisoning young people with drugs".

Addressing members of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in parliament, Yildirim said drug dealers' main target is Europe.

"I am calling our European friends to stop bothering themselves with Turkey's legal processes and focus on fighting the PKK and drug-runners who poison your youth and future with drugs," said Yildirim.

"The main target of drugs is Europe and the young people of Europe," said the premier, adding that in Turkey, the PKK reaps around $2 billion annually from drug dealing.

Illegal drug trafficking is the chief financial resource for terrorist groups, including the PKK, according to a Turkish Interior Ministry report shown to Anadolu Agency in June.

The PKK terrorist organization is active in all the phases of drug trafficking including production, delivery, distribution, and sales, according to the narco-terrorism report.

The PKK’s annual revenues from cannabis production and sales are around 500 million Turkish liras ($170 million) and separately $1.5 billion from drug trafficking, said the report.

The terrorist group reportedly produces heroin in laboratories in its camps in northern Iraq, and sells it to Europe, the report said, adding that members of the terrorist group are also active in selling the drugs on European streets.

The terrorist group also makes money from hashish production in the rural areas of the southeastern Diyarbakir province, which has been the scene of ongoing anti-terror operations against the PKK.

- Migration and refugee issue 'top global problem'

Yildirim also highlighted the refugee issue around the world, saying more than 55 million people around the globe are currently displaced.

The prime minister criticized the "insensitive" attitude adopted by some countries towards the refugee issue.

"Don't just talk, shoulder the issue a little bit," he said. "We are not complaining about hosting around three million refugees in our country. We are the grandsons of the Ottoman Empire."

Yildirim said Turkey had so far spent over $20 billion for the refugees and was willing to do more.

"Migration is the top global issue right now. However, we hope that this issue will not just be left for Turkey to shoulder. Starting from Iraq and Syria, we want everyone to take on responsibility about the regional issues," he said.

- New constitution talks

The premier also commented on the new constitution talks, saying "a new step" had been taken in the process.

"We will complete our talks with the other political parties this week and give the final shape to our draft.

"I hope all of our political parties will join us to change our current constitution so we can put this issue behind us," he said.

The government has long sought to replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential one, saying there are flaws in the system that hold back Turkey’s development.

On October 30, Yildirim said a committee within the AK Party had completed work on a draft constitution that also included items for a presidential system.

The proposed changes would be put to a public referendum even if the government got the necessary votes in parliament to avoid the need for one, Yildirim said.