TURKEY: Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan has accused the European Union of fanning nationalism in Turkey by interfering in the issue of its minority population of Kurds, according to a newspaper report.
Turkey has eased restrictions on Kurdish language and culture as part of its drive to join the EU, but some politicians and senior generals fear Kurdish separatists are trying to use the more liberal climate to extract more concessions.
An unsuccessful attempt by youths last month to burn a Turkish flag during a pro-Kurdish demonstration triggered protest rallies and marches by angry Turks across the country.
EU officials expressed concern over the nationalist outburst.
"The European Union provokes Kurdish nationalism in southeastern Turkey, and this in turn rekindles another [ Turkish] nationalism," Mr Erdogan told the Milliyet paper.
He said the EU's sources of information on the Kurds were "not healthy", adding that the unitary nature of the Turkish state was a non-negotiable "red line" for Ankara.
Ankara does not recognise the Kurds as an ethnic minority but says that as individuals they enjoy the same legal rights and protection as all other citizens of the Turkish Republic.