In a move that won praise from Turkey, the Belgian police yesterday launched orchestrated raids on premises suspected of belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and detained dozens of senior members of the outlawed group, including two of its leading figures, Zübeyir Aydar and Remzi Kartal.

About 300 Belgian police officers, as well as tax inspectors from the finance ministry, participated in the raids, one of the most extensive operations carried out against the PKK in Europe so far. The operation was launched in coordination with Turkish intelligence, which provided Belgian authorities with information and evidence on the links between the PKK and its European operatives, Turkish news reports said. Aydar, leader of the outlawed Kurdish National Congress (Kongra-Gel), and Kartal, who is known to be the PKK's chief operative in Europe, were among at least 15 people detained in the raids. Kongra-Gel claims to be the political wing of the PKK, but it is widely recognized as just another name for the PKK and is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Both Aydar and Kartal are former members of the now defunct Democracy Party (DEP), shut down by Turkey's Constitutional Court for links with the PKK.Roj TV, a mouthpiece of the PKK, was also among the targets of the Belgian raids. The television station's broadcasting was halted following a raid on the station's headquarters in Denderleeuw. The broadcasting later continued from the station's studios in Sweden. Along with Belgian police officers, tax inspectors also raided Roj TV's offices to investigate possible tax evasion and financial fraud.The raids, which began early on Thursday morning and took place in 25 locations across six major cities in Belgium, followed anti-PKK operations in France and Italy last month. Reports said Italian and French police were also involved in the operation, assisting the Belgian police. Private NTV quoted Belgian authorities as saying the operation was an international one.Turkey, which has long criticized European countries for turning a blind eye to the PKK's fundraising and propaganda activities on their soil, commended Belgium after Thursday's raids. “Solidarity against terrorism is the responsibility of all countries, particularly for those who are allies in international organizations. We are pleased that Belgium honored this responsibility,” Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu told reporters at a joint press conference with Murray McCully, the foreign minister of New Zealand, in Ankara. “We commend the sensitive and determined stance of the Belgian authorities. We hope that terrorist groups will not be able to find much room for maneuver in Europe,” he also said, noting that the anti-PKK operations in France, Italy and finally in Belgium are a “serious message” for groups that provide financing for terrorist activities.  ‘PKK decision an international responsibility'New Zealand's foreign minister yesterday defended his country's decision to classify the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a terrorist group, saying it stemmed from New Zealand's desire to honor its obligations as a member of the international community.Foreign Minister Murray McCully, speaking after talks with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, in Ankara, said his government saw the designation of the PKK as a terrorist group as an obligation under relevant UN resolutions. Last month, New Zealand listed the PKK and three other groups -- Spain's Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA) group, Colombia's FARC leftist guerrilla group and the Somalia-based Al Shabaab, or Harakat al-Shabaab Mujahideen -- as terrorist organizations, making it possible to freeze their funds or assets and making it illegal for New Zealand citizens to help them. Prime Minister John Key said then that designating the groups as terrorist organizations reflects the country's commitment to the international campaign against terrorism. Davutoğlu said New Zealand's decision contributed to efforts to limit the room for terrorist organizations to maneuver. The two ministers also discussed bilateral ties, and McCully said Prime Minister Key would attend the annual Anzac Day commemoration ceremonies in Gallipoli this year. Ankara Today's Zaman Davutoğlu declined to comment when asked whether Turkey was planning to seek the extradition of Aydar and other detainees also sought here, saying the operation was still continuing. “What is important is the solidarity in combating the terrorist organization. It is of crucial importance that Turkey and Europe are free from such activities,” Davutoğlu said. “Steps that could be taken following the conclusion of the operations will be assessed later on.” He was also tight-lipped on reports about the involvement of Turkish intelligence authorities. “It is not appropriate to go into details,” he said. “But the ongoing operation is being carried out by Belgian authorities and on the basis of the Belgian domestic law and decisions of the Belgian government.”Last year, Turkey started an intensive diplomatic campaign with European governments to cut the PKK's financial sources in European countries, something the US has also put pressure on European governments to block. In the past week, Italian, French and Romanian police also launched raids against the PKK, detaining many suspects. Turkey has frequently reiterated that European countries fall short of addressing the concerns surrounding PKK members and offshoots of the organization in Europe. Turkey's relations with Belgium, Germany and Denmark have worsened at times due to their reluctance to shut down Roj TV despite evidence presented by Turkish authorities that it is organically linked to the PKK.Turkish suspicions toward Belgium mounted in relation to another terror-related case in the past. Following several years of trial and retrial, a Belgian appeals court declined to describe the Turkish Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) as a terrorist organization despite an EU decision to classify it as a terrorist group and acquitted some of its members on trial while sentencing the rest to suspended prison sentences. The defendants included Fehriye Erdal, a lead suspect in the 1996 murder of industrialist Özdemir Sabancı. Erdal, convicted in absentia, remains at large.There are two primary allegations directed against Roj TV and the other people detained in the Belgian operation. One is the financial fraud and tax evasion while the other is distributing PKK propaganda, educating PKK members, recruiting members for the PKK, human trafficking, counterfeiting and racketeering.The Belgian State Security Service said in a report on Jan. 28 that Kurdish organizations in Western Europe, including Roj TV, are dominated by the PKK and disseminate the organization's propaganda. The service is also interested in the left-wing Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C) and Ergenekon, the report detailed.  05 March 2010, FridayTODAY'S ZAMAN  İSTANBUL