Two international watchdogs have condemned recent attacks on a Turkish newspaper’s offices in Germany and France, allegedly carried out by Kurdish activists.

In a statement today, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the attacks “damage media freedom.”

The International Press Institute said it is “unacceptable to resort to violence against journalists to express political disagreement with them.”

On February 15, a masked group of alleged supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) entered the Paris office of the “Zaman” newspaper, breaking windows and equipment, and threatening employees.

On the same day, arsonists torched “Zaman’s” office in the western German city of  Cologne.

German authorities have not ruled out a link to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organization by the EU and Turkey.

Compiled from agency reports

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