05 January 2016•Update: 05 January 2016
ANKARA
Turkey’s health minister has slammed recent PKK attacks in the country’s southeast saying: “No one fires on health staff even in a warzone.”
Mehmet Muezzinoglu was speaking on Tuesday at Anadolu Agency’s Editors’ Desk in Ankara.
Muezzinoglu also accused the PKK of attacking hospitals and ambulances with rockets and petrol bombs.
All necessary measures would be taken to secure the health system in the region, Muezzinoglu said, adding that three armored ambulances would be delivered to Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Mardin this week.
He also said hoax call-outs were hurting the ability of the health services to respond to genuine emergencies.
The health minister said that in spite of every difficulty and the PKK’s terror activities medical services would continue to work for all citizens.
The PKK – considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU – resumed its three-decade armed campaign against the Turkish state in late July.
A total of 296 PKK members have been killed in counter-terrorism operations in southeastern Turkey since Dec. 15, according to the Turkish General Staff on Tuesday.
