Turkish Justice Minister blasts Brussels court

“Terrorist organisations take advantage of the democratic tools. It is difficult to even call them terrorists through [this] court decision. These terrorist groups would not survive another day without the aid and protection of overseas powers,” Çiçek said.

Another DHKP-C member, Ferhiye Erdal, who is wanted in Turkey on suspicion of assassinating a prominent industrialist, Özdemir Sabancı, in 1996, was arrested in Belgium on weapon and false document charges three years later. She escaped house arrest in 2006.

“This issue also concerns the Sabancı family,” Çiçek said.  “For this reason, we are going to speak to members of the family, and do all that is in our hands to avoid an unpleasant conclusion. I have already given orders to contact members of the family and their lawyers.”