Turkey warns Israel to keep away from Kurdish separatists

The Turkish Foreign Minister has warned Israel not to use Kurdish separatists in an effort to weaken Turkey. Ahmet Davutoglu said that Turkey “will respond to Israel or any other country which thinks about using the PKK terrorist organisation as a tool, or resorts to terrorism against our country”.

Reports in Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth had claimed that Davutoglu’s counterpart in Tel Aviv, Avigdor Lieberman, has plans to “punish” Turkey, possibly by providing military support to the Kurdistan’s Workers’ Party (PKK).

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“Every time someone wants to disturb or distract Turkey, they try to use the PKK,” said Mr. Davutoglu, “but we have the power to continue both an effective struggle against terrorism and maintain our efforts for democratization.” No one can blackmail us, he added.

In a direct response to Lieberman’s statement, the Foreign Minister said that Israel hasn’t yet realised the changes that have taken place in the region, and the isolation facing the Zionist state.