U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Saturday, January 23 said that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is a threat to Turkey like Islamic State, condemning the Kurdish militants as "a terror group plain and simple," AFP reports.

"IS is not the only existential threat to the people of Turkey, the PKK is equally a threat and we are aware of that.. it is a terror group plain and simple and what they continue to do is absolutely outrageous," Biden said after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul.

Biden on Fridaystrongly criticized Turkey for failing to set the right "example" on freedom of expression, following the imprisonment of journalists and investigation of academics who criticized government policy, AFP reports.

"When the media are intimidated or imprisoned for critical reporting... and more than 1,000 academics are accused of treason simply by signing a petition, that's not the kind of example that needs to be set," Biden said at a meeting with civil society representatives in Istanbul.