EU sends message of solidarity to Turkey after PKK attacks

The European Union has reiterated its support for Turkey in an official statement released on Thursday following two separate bomb attacks carried out by the PKK terrorist organisation in the country's southeast.

"The European Union reiterates its continuing solidarity to Turkey, its government and its people. The Turkish authorities are faced with difficult challenges, due also to the violent acts by PKK, which is on the EU list of terrorist organisations," Maja Kocijancic, the EU spokesperson for foreign affairs, said in the statement.

The bloc "extended its condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured," the statement added.

A total of nine people, including a police officer, were killed in two separate terror attacks in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır and Mardin on Wednesday.

The US also "strongly" denounced the attacks, with Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter calling them "despicable" in a statement.

"With these attacks, we are reminded of the remarkable bravery and self-sacrifice that allied security personnel demonstrate every day in the fight against terrorism," he said.

"The United States remains committed to cooperating closely with Turkey- bilaterally, within the counter- ISIL (DAESH) coalition, and within NATO- in order to defend our nations against common threats," he added.

During a press briefing on Thursday, the US State Department also condemned Wednesday's bombings.

PKK terror attacks have killed over 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards since July 2015.

The PKK is designated as a terror group by Turkey, the EU and the United States. However, the EU and US do not classify the YPG and its political arm, the PYD, as terror groups even though they serve as the Syrian extension of the PKK.

Turkey has long expressed its dismay towards US and EU support for the PYD, which Ankara considers to be one and the same as the PKK.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry previously criticised the EU's stance, saying that "preferring a terror group to another one is a disrespect shown to the memory of all victims of terrorism."

"Double standards are seriously harming the European Union's image," the statement said.