What does French tolerance mean? Letting PKK terror flourish in Marseille

Supporters of the PKK terrorist organisation held a provocative demonstration in France's southern city of Marseille over the weekend, where they freely distributed terror propaganda at a so-called festival.

The demonstration saw PKK supporters carrying banners symbolising the group and demanding the release of its ringleader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned by Türkiye since1999.

The French foreign ministry has yet to respond to questions regarding why the demonstration was permitted, given that the PKK is recognised as a terrorist organisation by both the European Union and France.

In 2021, Türkiye criticised French President Emmanuel Macron for meeting with members of the so-called Syrian Democratic Council, which is a political front primarily made up of members of the terrorist group YPG/PKK.

The Turkish government has repeatedly called on France and other European countries to take a stronger stance against the PKK and its affiliates.

The terrorist group is not only a threat to Türkiye's national security, but it also undermines social peace and public order in Europe.

French support for PKK

With the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011, the YPG/PKK discovered an opportunity to carve out a region in northern Syria by taking advantage of the turmoil. France was its greatest supporter among European countries.

The terror group has been able to continue its propaganda and stage protests in Paris and other cities, especially during the tenure of former President Francois Hollande.

Hollande hosted the ringleaders of the YPG/PKK in military uniforms at the Elysee Palace in 2015. The current French President, Emmanuel Macron, has also supported the group by accepting YPG/PKK terrorists under the SDF moniker at the Elysee Palace in 2019.

Macron assured the organisation of "active support".

Macron defended his country's backing for the YPG, claiming it was fighting Daesh terrorists.

The Macron administration not only had a military presence in the area occupied by the YPG/PKK in Syria, but French military advisors also trained terrorists at the Ayn Isa base.

In 2022, France's Lafarge was exposed as one of the key firms supporting terrorism. The giant cement company was slapped with a heavy fine of $778 million by a US court for dealing with several terror groups in Syria in 2013-2014, including Daesh.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly.

The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.