Erdoğan says watching chaos on Europe’s streets with concern

Turkey is watching with concern the European streets and opposes the 'excessive force' used against demonstrators, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday, referring to 'Yellow Vest' protests. 'Those who accused our police of oppression should see what their police are doing now,' Erdoğan said as he spoke of police intervening in the protests 'in the toughest manner' in Paris and elsewhere. The 'scenes of chaos' show Europe has failed 'the test on democracy, human rights, and freedom,' Erdoğan told supporters at the opening ceremony of development projects in Istanbul's Üsküdar district. The protest movement, sparked by planned fuel tax hikes in Paris, spread to Belgium and the Netherlands on its third weekend. Dozens were detained while police used tear gas to disperse protestors in both cities. 'These are the ones who remained silent against those who attempted to shed blood and set our streets on fire,' Erdoğan said. He charged that some European countries remained silent against the failed 2016 coup attempt by a faction in the Turkish military. He would not name any specific country. On another Saturday shaken by protests in three European countries, Turkey's president said Europe's security and welfare is not being shaken by Muslims or immigrants, but by Europe's own people. 'The walls of security and welfare that they so cherished started to be shaken not by migrants or Muslims, but by their own citizens,' Erdoğan told a mass opening ceremony in Istanbul. Erdoğan said those who stoked anti-migrant sentiment and Islamophobia for the sake of political populism are now falling into their own traps. Some 700 people were arrested during protests in France on Saturday, with police using pepper spray on demonstrators. Similar protests were also seen to the northeast, in Belgium and the Netherlands. Erdoğan said sympathizers of the terror groups PKK and DHKP-C also contributed to the chaos of the protests. He urged Western leaders to give those terrorists what they deserve and make them face the law. 'When you do this, have no doubt that you will understand Turkey better and we will be real friends with you,' Erdoğan added. In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children. The DHKP-C is responsible for a number of terror attacks in Turkey, including a 2013 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara which martyred a Turkish security guard. The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union.