OSCE Mission to Skopje trains police officers on countering religiously motivated terrorist organizations

Enhancing the capacities of law enforcement officers to counter religiously motivated terrorist organizations in line with international best practices was the aim of a five-day training course for some 20 counter-terrorism officers from the Interior Ministry, which concluded on 28 September 2018. The course was organized by the OSCE Mission to Skopje, in co-operation with the Turkish National Police.

“It is encouraging for the OSCE to see that the officers are willing to enhance their capacity in the area of countering terrorist organizations abusing religion. Sharing experiences and best practices in this area is of vital importance to the fight against terrorism,” said Serkan Serin, the Mission’s Adviser on Counter-Terrorism/Violent Extremism.

The course participants were trained on better identifying terrorist individuals and movements, defining terrorist ideologies and radicalization processes, and understanding recruitment and propaganda methods, which would have a long-term impact on public safety.