Supporters of the PKK terrorist group were allowed to organize an "ideological training camp" in southern France.
Images of PKK supporters holding an "ideological training camp" under the guise of a "festival/cultural event" in a green area near the city of Marseille appeared on social media.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, and also by France.
In the footage, dozens of PKK sympathizers dressed in clothes representing the terrorist group marched in pairs, chanting slogans with symbols of the group and posters of terrorist PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Reached by Anadolu Agency (AA), Marseille officials and police declined comment, and no official statement has been made yet regarding the images.
Turkish Ambassador to Paris Ali Onaner told AA that they contacted French authorities about the images to confirm that they were shot in France and also asked what measures were or will be taken regarding this activity by terrorist group sympathizers.
Onaner said they once again stressed that Ankara expects French authorities to put an end to PKK attacks on Turkish missions and pro-PKK activities that contain terrorist propaganda.
The German and French ambassadors to Ankara were summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry to protest events organized by PKK supporters in those countries, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said Tuesday.
Separately, Turkey has said it opposes Sweden and Finland's bids to join NATO over what Ankara calls its harbouring of terrorists in those countries, and also over their arms export ban.
Recently, Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO on May 18, a decision spurred by Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24. Turkey, a longstanding member of the alliance, has voiced objections to their membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting terrorist groups.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that they have not taken the necessary steps on Turkey's demands and stressed that terrorists are even now still walking the streets of Stockholm while Sweden protects them "with their own police."
PKK followers are still able to hold mass rallies across EU cities and maintain their organizational presence. The group has also been able to recruit members and extract financial resources from its activities in Europe, including drug trafficking.
Turkey has long criticized European authorities for tolerating PKK activities in their countries and has pressured them to take stricter measures against the propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activities of the group./aa
