On Monday 26 December, following the shooting of three people of Kurdish origin in Paris three days earlier, the French ambassador was summoned by Ankara for “anti-Turkey propaganda”.
French daily Le Figaro reported that Turkey has been blamed for the shooting in Paris.
“We have expressed our displeasure at the propaganda launched by PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) circles against our country, with the French government and certain politicians being used as propaganda tools,” a Turkish diplomatic source complained.
The day after the shooting in the middle of Paris, demonstrations organised by French Kurds degenerated throughout France, leading to violent clashes with the police.
Since the shooting, Kurdish groups close to the PKK, an organisation that is a sworn enemy of Turkey and considered terrorist by Ankara, have been denouncing the hand of the Turkish intelligence services behind what they consider to be a terrorist attack.
However, the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office was not seized, and only a “racist motive” was retained. The main suspect, a French national, has no proven link with Turkish services at this stage of the investigation.
William M, 69 years old, was presented to a judge on Monday 26 December after his custody and charged with murder and attempted murder on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nation or religion, as well as for unauthorised acquisition and possession of a weapon. He was placed in detention.
“There is no evidence at this stage to suggest that this man is affiliated with any extremist ideological movement”, the public prosecutor pointed out however.
Paris experienced civil war-like scenes over Christmas. Violent clashes broke out between police and demonstrators on Saturday. After an initially peaceful protest in the city center, cars were overturned and set on fire, and garbage cans were also set on fire. Police officers were attacked with projectiles and officers used tear gas. The situation only calmed down in the early evening.
Already on Friday afternoon there had been clashes between an angry crowd and the police. Protesters threw objects, set garbage cans on fire and erected barricades. The windows of private cars and police vehicles were also broken. The police used tear gas to disperse angry mobs.