‘Turkey’s fight against all terrorists continue’

By Sarp Ozer

BRUSSELS (AA) – Turkey’s fight against all terrorist groups is continuing, and the country is committed to bring peace and stability to the region, Turkey’s defense minister said Wednesday.

Turkey is especially continuing its fight against FETO – the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey – the YPG/PKK and Daesh/ISIS along with other terror groups, said Hulusi Akar ahead of a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Akar also met with Turkey’s ambassador to NATO and Turkish military representatives at NATO headquarters.

Akar said that it is important to explain Turkey’s objectives, commitments and sacrifices to the world.

In addition to attending the two-day defense ministers meeting starting today, Akar will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts.

He is expected to discuss regional security issues as well as the humanitarian crisis in the de-escalation zone of Idlib, northwestern Syria.

Attacks by the Assad regime in Idlib over the last two weeks have martyred about a dozen Turkish military personnel. Turkey has responded in force, killing some 200 Assad regime troops, and has vowed that no attack will be left unanswered.

The Turkish troops are in Idlib as part of an anti-terror and peace mission.

Idlib has been a stronghold of the opposition and anti-government armed groups since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011.

In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.

But more than 1,800 civilians have been killed in attacks by regime and Russian forces since then, flouting both the 2018 cease-fire and a new one that started on Jan. 12.

* Writing and contribution by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak in Ankara