The Turkish Parliament approved a presidential motion on Tuesday to extend the deployment of troops to Iraq and Syria to fight terrorists for another two years.
The motion pointed to the risks and threats against Türkiye's national security from the terrorists near the country's southern borders.
It noted that Türkiye respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty and stability of Iraq, but the presence of terrorist groups like the PKK and Daesh pose a threat to regional peace, stability and the security of Türkiye. Likewise, the motion noted that terrorist groups, including the PKK, its Syrian wing YPG and Daesh continue to pose a national security threat and carry out attacks against civilians.
Türkiye battles the PKK terrorist group in northern Iraq and its Syrian affiliate the YPG in northern Syria.
The group constitutes a serious security threat to the country. On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the two terrorists who attempted to attack the Interior Ministry headquarters in the capital Ankara came from Syria and received training over there. He noted that all PKK/YPG facilities and areas controlled by the terrorists were now "legitimate targets" for the Turkish military.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, Britain, the United States and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women and children.
Türkiye has also launched operations against other terrorist groups in the region, most notably Daesh.
