Full quote about Turkish plans to target PKK orgs in Europe

Under its new initiative, Ankara will share dossiers, including evidence to EU-member states, in hopes European states will take stronger action to end terrorist financing. The names of companies contributing financial aid to the PKK are also being sent to relevant countries.

Read the article here.

The question and answer:

Our question is how effective do you see this initiative? What are the hesitations for both Turkey and its Western allies at this point? And are there really a strong financial support sources from EU companies to PKK?

This diplomatic initiative is nothing new and Turkish government has
been lobbying for several years to cut off financial sources of the
PKK and to combat PKK organizations in Europe without much success.
Its part of the recently launched military operations against the PKK
in Northern Iraq and the worsening of relations between the PKK and
the Turkish government (negotiations between Öcalan and the Turkish
government failed, and the government banned some of Öcalan’s lawyers
to visit him). Its clear that the PKK is dependent on money from
Europe and the Kurdish diaspora for its media activities and
supporting PKK organizations in Europe. Furthermore according to the
Dutch intelligence services the PKK supplies goods to the PKK camps in
Northern Iraq. The support the PKK gets is mostly from financial
contributions that are collected from its supporters through
social-cultural unions mentioned in the report you mention that are
united in KON-KURD (Confederation of Kurdish Associations in Europe)
and contributions from companies united in KARSAZ, the International
Kurdish Employers Union. In every European country there are these
federations or unions. However Turkish Kurds do not own major
companies and are mostly involved in small companies like small
restaurants, supermarkets and other businesses. Often its difficult to
track these money flows. In addition PKK organizations or proxies
change their names after they are closed and reorganize themselves
(see for example the banning of predecessors of Roj TV, Med TV closed
in 1999, Medya TV closed in 2004). Turkey also have difficulties with
combating PKK activities in Turkey itself, and there are several
social-cultural organizations, companies, human rights organizations
that have links, or are controlled by the PKK.

More about this issue can also be found in the Wikileaks cables. The US is pressuring EU countries to take action against the PKK. France for instance closed some pro-PKK organizations, and arrested people. On Saturday there is a pro-PKK festival with Kurds from Turkey in Germany.