Türkiye vows to never allow terrorists settle near its border
Turkish army tanks cross the Öncüpınar border gate to enter Syria, in Kilis, Türkiye, Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018. (AP File Photo)


Türkiye will not allow any terrorist groups to settle near its borders, chief adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday.

"We will never allow terrorist organizations trying to nest in our border regions," Akif Çağatay Kılıç said on X.

"The aerial operation launched by our heroic Turkish army in northern Syria is an indicator of our justified fight against terrorism," he added.

The Foreign Ministry said on Friday that the Turkish army carried out comprehensive operations against YPG/PKK terrorist targets in Iraq and Syria in line with Ankara's right to self-defense following Sunday's foiled attack in Türkiye's capital, Ankara.

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Interior Ministry gate while another terrorist was killed by security forces on Sunday. Two police officers suffered minor injuries in the attack. The Turkish Interior Ministry has confirmed the attackers' ties to the terrorist group PKK.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU - has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.