PKK's secret fundraising, training camps uncovered in Switzerland: Report

ISTANBUL

The PKK terrorist organization is secretly fundraising, spreading propaganda and organizing terrorist training camps in Switzerland and other countries, according to a recently published report by the nation’s intelligence agency.

Switzerland’s Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) released its 2024 situation report titled "Switzerland’s Security," providing critical insights into the activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

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

The report indicated that the organization covertly conducts various operations within Switzerland.

The PKK is noted for its recruitment strategies specifically targeting young Kurdish refugees in Switzerland, whom it seeks to indoctrinate and prepare for deployment against the Turkish military, according to the FIS.

Cultural associations affiliated with the PKK exploit these individuals for party activities, the report said, noting the PKK occasionally collaborates with violent left-wing extremist groups.

Should conditions in northern Syria or Iraq worsen, the organization may temporarily increase its activities in Switzerland and across Europe, the FIS warned.

Turkish institutions, including community centers and mosques, could become targets for PKK actions, it added.

The report also emphasized that the security situation in Switzerland has been deteriorating each year, highlighting that a dangerous and volatile period is being experienced due to shifting global power dynamics, with uncertainty regarding its duration.

"Switzerland is significantly less secure than it was just a few years ago," the report said, citing the intense polarization caused by simultaneous crises and armed conflicts in Europe.

Noting that the Russia-Ukraine war has become a "war of attrition with no end in sight," it said Moscow remains determined to continue the conflict, complicating the provision of vital assistance to Ukraine for the US and Europe.

The report highlighted that events in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since the Oct. 7, 2023 assaults by the Palestinian group Hamas, have caused significant "shockwaves" in the Middle East.

It noted that Israel has intensified its attacks against the Hezbollah group in Lebanon since October, challenging Iran and its regional strategy.

Emphasizing that the greatest espionage threat to Switzerland comes from Russian intelligence services, it also pointed to a high threat from Chinese intelligence services.

The report concluded that the terror threat in Switzerland remains high and has become even more pronounced in 2024, with the activities of violent far-right and far-left groups continuing unabated.