Paris - On Tuesday the offices of pro-PKK organizations were raided by the French police. During protests there were small clashes between the French police and demonstrators.

During the raids, the head of the Kurdish Federation (Feyka) President Mehmet Ülker and board member Mehmet Yildirim and Chairman of the Ahmet Kaya Kurdish Cultural centre (AKKKM) Celil Akdogan and member of a Kurdish association Deniz Yildirim were arrested.

The European Confederation of Kurdish Associations (KON-KURD) condemned the operation and said it was aimed at criminalizing Kurdish organizations.

French counter-terrorist teams confiscated the documents of the organizations. According to the Turkish state news agency Anatolia the PKK members were accused of collecting money for Kurds living in France.

French security forces have detained around 40 alleged PKK members since last June. The French Ambassador to Turkey Bernard Emie told the Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman that France is closely working with Turkey to stop the PKK. ““Thirty-five people were condemned to jail for illegally raising funds for the PKK.” Emie stressed to Today's Zaman that there is a lot going on behind the scenes in the PKK issue, allowing both sides to exchange information and share intelligence.

The PKK commander Murat Karayilan told the thinktank Jamestown that France is giving Turkey a message to continue the war against the PKK and demanded that France should change their policy. “France is giving Turkey a message: “Don’t be scared, I’m attacking the PKK in my own country and you can have your war against the PKK. We will be at your back and supporting you,” Karayilan told Jamestown (Photo: ANF).

© Rudaw