Türkiye, United Arab Emirates exchange messages of solidarity against terrorism

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) — Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday exchanged messages of solidarity against terrorism in a phone call between the two countries' presidents.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke on the phone with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said in a statement.

During the call, Al Nahyan expressed his condolences to Erdogan for a terrorist attack in an operation zone of Türkiye in northern Iraq that killed nine Turkish soldiers.

Nine Turkish soldiers were killed in the attack by PKK terrorists in the Operation Claw-Lock zone in northern Iraq Friday.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

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.