Turkish presidential spokesperson accuses BBC of 'indirectly supporting' PKK

The Turkish president's office has criticized the BBC for an interview with a leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), suggesting that the interview was aimed at portraying the group's "rhetoric as if they are reasonable and legitimate demands."

"This kind of work aimed at acquitting the terror organization has no relation with journalism. This is nothing but indirect support lent to terrorist propaganda," ?brahim Kal?n, the spokesperson for President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, said April 25, hours after the BBC published an interview with Cemil Bay?k, who along with Murat Karay?lan, is considered the PKK's top commander on the ground in the absence of the group's imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan.

Kal?n asked what Britain's reaction would be if "a news agency financed by taxes paid another country's citizens had a similar interview with al-Qaeda" which launched the 7/7 attacks on London in 2005 and "tried to portray the head of that terrorist organization as if he is a reasonable and legitimate actor."

"Here, we face a very similar situation. Going and holding meetings with this spokesperson of the PKK and that leader of the PKK, etc., and then trying to impose the PKK's rhetoric as if they are reasonable and legitimate demands is nothing but something that indirectly aids terror propaganda," he said, adding that Turkey "rejects and condemns" such activities.

In the interview with BBC, Bay?k confirmed the PKK had had "direct" communications with the United States in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

"This claim was voiced by terror organization leaders previously too and was rejected by the related countries," Kal?n said when asked whether they had any information on such...