"One of the most important conditions for an efficient international struggle against terrorism is to prevent terrorists from abusing the right to political asylum," Aksu told an informal meeting of interior ministers from Balkan countries in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish self-rule in the southeast since 1984, is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, but Ankara has long accused European countries of tolerating their activities.

Many Kurds enjoy political asylum in European countries, notably since the 1990s, when the prosecution of activists opposed to Ankara's heavy-handed policies against its sizeable Kurdish minority was a common occurrence.

"The PKK obtains the majority of its finances through drug smuggling, people smuggling, extortion and money laundering, especially in European countries," Aksu said.

He said the PKK had an extensive network of operatives in Europe and controlled the drug market by using illegal immigrant PKK members with political refugee status.

"It is essential to obtain detailed and correct information on ties between terrorism and people or associations linked to dubious financial transactions," Aksu said.

The separatist conflict has killed more than 37,000 people in Turkey since 1984, when the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast.

The rebels, who have bases in neighbouring northern Iraq, proclaimed a unilateral ceasefire from October 1, saying they hoped this would pave the way for a dialogue to resolve the conflict, but the truce was rejected by the Turkish authorities.