Defense Minister Hulusi Akar noted that the Turkish military will soon permanently end PKK terrorism with determined counterterrorism operations at home and across the country's borders.
“Our operations continue in an increasingly intensive way,” Akar told reporters Tuesday, as he said the military strives to eliminate the terrorist group.
“The so-called leaders of the terrorist group have come to realize their end and their inferiors need to realize that they have no choice but to surrender,” Akar said, adding that Turkey’s operations focus on destroying terrorists at their source.
The defense minister also noted that Turkey respects the territorial integrity and borders of all neighbors, including Iraq, and carries out its operations in line with international law.
Meanwhile, Akar also said Turkey has been following developments regarding the operations at Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport.
“We hope that the conditions are favorable,” Akar said, adding that Turkey has always told its allies that Ankara would stand by Afghanistan as long as the latter desires.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents – namely, the Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019) operations.
The Claw operations are a series of offensives Turkey has been carrying out since 2019 against terrorist organizations in northern Iraq, particularly the PKK.
The latest of these operations were launched April 23 in the Metina and Avasin-Basyan regions near the country's borders.
The PKK is known to have many hideouts and bases in northern Iraq from where it carries out terrorist attacks on Turkey.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq. Turkey has long stressed that it will not tolerate terrorist threats posed against its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group. Ankara previously noted that if the expected steps were not taken, it would not shy away from targeting terrorist threats.
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