Turkish EU minister calls for anti-terror cooperation

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - EU Minister Omer Celik on Tuesday underlined the need for the union to support Turkey’s fight against terrorism, a ministry source said.

In a telephone conversation with EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Celik said Turkey expected concrete cooperation in combating terror groups such as the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO, which Ankara has said was behind the July 15 coup attempt.

The minister added that Turkey and the EU should build solidarity in areas where they share common values, such as the law, democracy and human rights, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The conversation followed a statement from EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini earlier Tuesday calling for Turkey to “safeguard its parliamentary democracy, including the respect for human rights, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and the right of everyone to a fair trial”.

The statement followed the arrest and imprisonment awaiting trial of lawmakers from the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).

The Foreign Ministry later described Mogherini’s comments as “unacceptable” and said the EU had “lost credibility among the Turkish people” over the fight against terrorism.