QA-3, 29 January 2018, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hami Aksoy in response to a question regarding the recent statement of the European Parliament’s Turkey Rapporteur Kati Piri on the PKK and her later explanation that her words were taken out of context

Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Dışişleri Bakanlığı 29.01.2018

The European Parliament’s Turkey Rapporteur Kati Piri’s statement that “the PKK does not constitute a threat for Europe” is in fact the confession of the double-standards and hypocrisy we have long tried to point out. Such statement also overshadows the respectability of the European Parliament. It is regrettable that a person who has not been able to comprehend the indivisible nature of European security and the importance of unhesitant cooperation against terrorist organisations is serving as Rapporteur at the European Parliament. It is unacceptable that someone who does not view as a threat one of the terrorist organisations posing the biggest threat to Turkey is the rapporteur for our country.

Piri’s remarks that her remarks were twisted is too little, and too late since it was only made as a response to our initial reaction.