Erdogan: Thousands of terrorists walk freely in Germany

By Fatih Hafız Mehmet

BERLIN (AA) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said late Friday that thousands of terrorists were walking freely in Germany.

Speaking at a dinner given in his, as well as his spouse's honor by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Erdogan criticized Germany about the PKK terror group and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

"Thousands of members of PKK, which is recognized as a terror group by the EU, walk freely in Germany", Erdogan stressed.

He said PKK terrorists make demonstrations in major German streets and held posters of the head of the jailed PKK terror leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Erdogan said these activities were prohibited according to the German law and asked: "Then why are these [events] allowed?"

Turkish president said a so-called journalist who was convicted to five years in prison in Turkey had fled to Germany and was being treated with great respect in Germany.

He was referring Can Dundar, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily, who was convicted by a Turkish court for espionage.

In May, 2016, the 14th High Criminal Court in Istanbul had convicted Dundar and Erdem Gul, another journalist of the daily, following the publication of images purporting to show arms being transported to Syria in trucks belonging to Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, also known as the MIT.

That person has not been extradited to Turkey although there exists an agreement on the extradition of prisoners between both countries, Erdogan said.

"The FETO terror organization, unfortunately, hundreds, thousands of them are walking freely in Germany," he stressed.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the failed coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.