Turkish media: Lavrio refugee camp near Athens has turned into a PKK base

Turkish media claimed that a former Greek military base now turned refugee camp has turned into the home of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group recognised by Turkey as a terrorist organisation.

"Lavrio camp, which was established during the Cold War near the capital of Greece, Athens, has recently become the home of terrorist organisations," wrote Timeturk.

"The PKK's organisational work, which was brought to an end at home and across the border, was reflected in the intelligence reports that it carried out in the so-called Lavrio refugee camp," the article said in reference to Turkey's invasion of northern Syria.

The media outlet alleged that captured and surrendered PKK members testified that the Lavrio refugee camp was used to give weapons and bomb training, as well as plan future offensive actions against Turkey.

According to Timeturk, a PKK member named MY, who was sent to Turkey for a bomb attack, said, “They told me I could enter Greece if I said I was a 'Kurdish Asylum'. I went to Lavrio Camp. I received organisational and ideological training for 5-6 months."

The outlet also claimed that members of the Gülen movement, which they dub as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETÖ), forged documents in preparation for their transition to other European countries.

"The photo of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and the so-called flag of the terrorist organisation hang next to the flags of the United Nations and the Red Cross at the entrance of the camp," alleged the article.

The article also claimed that people taken to the camp are youth members of the PKK in Greece and that the Kurdish officers of the camp are appointed from the Qandil Mountains, a PKK stronghold on the Iraq-Iran border.

"Greek police do not intervene in the camp unless there is an extraordinary security situation or humanitarian crisis," the article alleged, adding that the camp is frequently visited by European countries, especially Germany and France.

The outlet seemingly rejected that the purposes of these European visits to the refugee camp was for humanitarian aid.

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