"The international community needs to cooperate against the evil (of terrorism), but unfortunately we do not see adequate cooperation in the outside world," Justice Minister Cemil Cicek was quoted as saying by the Anatolia news agency.

"A clear example of this is the court decision in the Netherlands against Nuriye Kesbir. Unfortunatley those who take human lives, even those of women and children, can have protection in Europe," he charged.

The Dutch Supreme Court on Friday blocked the extradition of Kesbir, a leader of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), on the grounds that she could face torture in Turkey.

Dutch officials said Ankara's guarantees that Kesbir would not be tortured were unsatisfactory and said the ban on her extradition could be lifted if Ankara gave more solid guarantees of proper treatment.

But Cicek rejected the Dutch argument.

"No one should fail to extradite criminals to Turkey on such poor excuses. We have undertaken every necessary legal arrangement to prevent torture. This is just a pretext," he said.

In a bid to join the European Union, the Ankara government has undertaken steps to stamp out mistreatment and torture, but rights activists say many of the reforms falter on the ground.

The PKK, blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, has fought for self-rule in mainly Kurdish southeastern Turkey since 1984 in a bloody conflict that claimed more than 37,000 lives.

Turkey accuses Kesbir of taking part in at least 25 attacks in eastern Turkey between 1993 and 1995. She denies any involvement in the attacks and claims she dealt only with the women's issues as a member of the PKK's presidential council.