Hadja Lahbib receives criticism from Turkey during a visit in Ankara

The Belgian Foreign Minister, Hadja Lahbib (MR), suffered Thursday in Ankara criticism from Turkey concerning the presence of the PKK in Belgium.

During a meeting with his counterpart minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (AK Party), the head of Turkish diplomacy judged that Belgium was not doing enough against the Kurdish separatist movement (PKK) which "coordinates its illegal terrorist activities in Belgium", he attacked during a press briefing at the end of an interview which lasted approximately two and a half hours.

"What I expect from you is that you take action against the terrorists who are active in your country. Just yesterday there was a PKK demonstration in front of the Turkish embassy in Brussels. If Daesh cannot do this, the PKK either then", lambasted the Turkish minister.

PKK is considered officially as a terrorist organization by the EU and Belgium. Belgian Ex-Foreign Minister Philippe Goffin said that Belgian government continues to view the armed Kurdish group PKK as a terrorist organisation. This is despite a ruling to the contrary by the Court of Cassation in Brussels.

As part of the visit in Ankara, Turkey, Hadja Lahbib visited the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk at famous Anitkabir.

She visited this Friday (today) the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, potential rival of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential elections of June 2023, and who has just been sentenced this Wednesday to two years and seven months in prison and the suspension of his political activities, if the court decision is approved at the appeal procedure.

Photos: Instagram of Hadja Lahbib & Belgian MFA