'Nothing can justify terror': Germany on PKK massacre

BERLIN

The German government on Monday expressed condolences over the massacre of 13 Turkish citizens by the terror group PKK in northern Iraq, saying no such action could be justified.

“We would like to extend our most heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims,” Foreign Ministry deputy spokeswoman Andrea Sasse told a news conference in Berlin.

“Nothing can justify terror. International humanitarian law must be fully respected in armed conflicts,” she added.

The Turkish nationals, who had been held captive for several years by the PKK, were executed by the group in Gara, northern Iraq over the weekend, during Turkey’s anti-terror operation in the region.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.