President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Türkiye would not hesitate to take action against terrorists posing a threat to its national security.
Noting that Türkiye has shown its firm commitment to its survival and security time and again, Erdoğan told a news conference after a cabinet meeting on Monday that the Turkish military may strike terrorist targets "suddenly, one night."
The well-known verse from a classical Turkish song "I can come suddenly one night,” is a slogan Erdoğan adopted for lightning counterterrorism operations against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian offshoot the YPG. He noted that pressure was mounting for the PKK/YPG terrorists.
The president said a new era has started after Bashar Assad was toppled by anti-regime forces in Syria.
He reiterated Türkiye's support for a unified Syria, as he said Ankara's main goal is to establish a "terror-free" Türkiye in the near future.
"We can not accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk we will take the necessary measures," Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye "has the means" to take necessary action in this regard.
Türkiye says it trusts the new Syrian administration in the fight against PKK/YPG but threatened military action if the terrorist group refuses to disband, with Erdoğan saying the terrorist group either “bury their arms” or themselves would “be buried.”
Türkiye renewed its counterterrorism campaign in the past decade after a brief lull. In Iraq, it launched the Claw Sword operation in 2022 to eliminate terrorists hiding in mountainous regions of northern Iraq. The offensive still continues with occasional precision strikes and “retaliation” strikes against terrorists opening harassment fire or trying to infiltrate into Türkiye to carry out attacks. Similarly, the Turkish army regularly responds to attacks from Syria’s north, partly controlled by PKK’s Syria wing, the YPG. In 2017, it launched Operation Euphrates Shield in coordination with the Syrian opposition forces in Syria’s north. It cleared out PKK terrorists in a region between Afrin and Manbij, further driving PKK/YPG to Syria’s northeast. One year later, it conducted Operation Olive Branch in another push against the terrorist group. Finally, in 2019, Operation Peace Spring took place to create a “safe zone” near the Turkish-Syrian border where terrorists often target Turkish towns on the other side of the border.
Increased production of unmanned aerial vehicles and bolstered capacity of a professional army helped Türkiye to achieve its counterterrorism targets. At the same time, the PKK/YPG in Syria enjoys support from the U.S. in the form of training and military equipment.
Erdoğan also reaffirmed the country's unwavering commitment to peace in Gaza, stating that Türkiye will persist in its efforts "until we get results."
Thanking the Turkish people for their continued solidarity with Palestinians, Erdoğan said that the Gaza solidarity rally in Istanbul last week had shown that Gaza is not alone.
"On Jan. 1, our citizens sent a powerful message to the world, demonstrating Türkiye's unwavering support for Palestine," he said.
"After 61 years of Baath oppression and 13 years of massacres, just as faith, belief, and patience prevailed in Syria, God willing, justice will also prevail in Palestine, and the sun of justice will pierce through the darkness of oppression," Erdoğan added.
He further stressed Türkiye's long-term goal for Palestine, asserting: "An independent, sovereign Palestinian state with territorial integrity, based on the 1967 borders, and with East Jerusalem as its capital, will certainly be established."
Erdoğan also called on the international community to support Palestinians and expressed hope that the new year would bring peace and relief to those suffering in Gaza.
Türkiye is doing "whatever it takes to open a door that will rekindle hopes for peace in Gaza," Erdoğan said, adding that the country will continue its efforts until they bear fruit.
