Defense Minister Yaşar Güler reiterated once again that all facilities and activities of the PKK and its offshoots in Syria and Iraq would be targeted in Turkish operations.
“We would like everybody to know that all facilities and activities of the PKK/KCK and PYD/YPG in Syria and Iraq will continue to be our legitimate targets,” the minister said Wednesday.
He was speaking about the PKK terrorist attack in front of the Interior Ministry compound in the capital, Ankara, saying that Türkiye will continue to carry out anti-terror operations.
He continued by noting that the Turkish military’s stance against terrorism has not changed and will continue to root out all terrorists.
Noting that both perpetrators of the attack were members of the PKK/YPG, Güler said they came from Syria to carry out the attack.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also said on Wednesday that Turkish security forces were authorized to target everything owned or controlled by the PKK terrorist group in Syria and Iraq. “Everything belonging to the PKK/YPG, from infrastructure to energy facilities, in Syria and Iraq are now legitimate targets of our security forces,” he said during a news conference in the capital, Ankara.
Türkiye destroyed 36 terror targets in northern Iraq in two air operations since Sunday’s terror attack in the capital Ankara, according to security sources and video made available to reporters.
Tuesday saw the Turkish Armed Forces’ second major air operation in northern Iraq in the three days since the terror attack in the Turkish capital.
In Sunday’s foiled attack, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Interior Ministry gate while another terrorist was killed by security forces. Two police officers suffered minor injuries in the attack.
In Tuesday’s air operation, Türkiye hit 16 terror targets in northern Iraq’s Metina, Gara, Hakurk, Qandil and Asos regions, said Nation Defense Ministry sources, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The fighter jets took off from three different combat bases and simultaneously struck locations used by terrorists in various regions, including Asos, which is 140 km (87 miles) from the border.
The terrorist PKK is known for using northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, as a hideout to plan terrorist attacks.
Tuesday’s operation also involved tanker aircraft, Airborne Warning and Control (AWAC) aircraft and drones.
The operation was done with great precision in both the planning and execution phases, resulting in the destruction of targets such as shelters, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and so-called headquarters used by the PKK terror group.
During the operation, there were multiple consecutive explosions at some of the targets struck by the aircraft.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
