France ups the ante against Pakistan, Turkey; urges EU to take this step to curb terrorism

French MEP Jordan Bardella has called for "real financial or trade sanctions" against Ankara, Islamabad, Kuwait city and Doha.

Expressing serious concerns over the support provided by terrorists from countries like Turkey and Pakistan, French Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jordan Bardella has called for "real financial or trade sanctions" against Ankara, Islamabad, Kuwait city and Doha. Bardella said that sanctions are needed in order to make "European solidarity tangible".

Bardella has made the call at a time when the rift between France and Muslim countries are increasing. It may be recalled that France in has witnessed several terror attacks in October after Charlie Hebdo announced to republish the controversial cartoon of Prophet Muhammed. The stiuation worsened after French President Emmanuel Macron refused to criticise Charlie Hebdo's decision.

Protests erupted in several Muslim countries over the incident and people in many Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan, joined calls to boycott French goods.

On October 16, a secondary school teacher was beheaded by a terrorist for using controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammad in his classes. On October 30, a man stabbed three people to death and wounded several others in a church in Nice.

On November 2, an Islamist terrorist shot dead four people in Vienna. 

"Ongoing tragedy and terrorism continues on European soil and Europe struggles to find a common solution to the constant killings of innocent victims at the hand of the terrorists and extremists," the European Chronicle reported.

Following his own statement "over and beyond feeble statements concerning the Turkish President's 'unacceptable' comments," MEP Bardella requested to know if the Commission is "planning to adopt any real financial or trade sanctions against countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Kuwait and Qatar, in order to reassert our common values and make European solidarity tangible?"

It is expected that the European Commission would nswer the questions of MEP Bardella in the coming weeks.

Another French Member of European Parliament (MEP) Nicolas Bay has also appealed to the EU to stop "showering" Ankara and Islamabad with subsidies and impose sanctions against them for supporting terrorism.

"During the European Parliamentary plenary of November 11, French MEP Nicolas Bay from the Identity and Democracy Group had strong words against European aid to Pakistan and Turkey in light of threats coming from both countries. MEP Bay's comments were made in the context of a debate on the 'fight against terrorism, freedom of expression and education'," a press statement read.