Türkiye's anti-terror operations will continue until every inch of northern Iraq mountains secure, says President Erdogan

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye's anti-terror operations in the region will continue until the mountainous region of northern Iraq, across Türkiye’s southern border, is fully secure, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday.

"Our operations in this region will continue until we have secured every inch of the mountains in northern Iraq, which are the source of terrorist acts," Erdogan told the press after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

Over the last five days, 114 targets were hit as part of air operations in Syria and Iraq, with 78 terrorists "neutralized," he added.

Attempts to fuel and strengthen the terrorist group PKK by providing it with weapons, ammunition, training, and shelters have gained momentum, he added.

"Our cross-border operations have also foiled plots aimed at dragging Türkiye into internal turmoil through a wave of irregular migration," he added.

"Since promises made to us are not being fulfilled, no one can object to Türkiye taking the necessary measures for its own security," Erdogan stressed, referring to previous pledges to establish a buffer zone along its southern border.

Through successful cross-border operations, Türkiye "clearly and unequivocally" showed that it will not allow any "surgical" attacks on its territory, he said.

"We have instructed our security units to destroy any terrorist elements they detect, regardless of who is next to, in their vicinity, or behind them," he added, tacitly implying that any international forces working with terrorist groups should stop doing so.

"Our military presence beyond our borders is critical to the security of our country and the peace of our citizens. There’s no going back from this."

Türkiye will undoubtedly take additional steps to fight terrorism in the coming months, regardless of who says what or what threats they make, he added.

Erdogan's remarks came in the wake of fresh PKK attacks in recent days taking the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers, followed by fierce Turkish attacks on terrorist targets in northern Iraq and Syria.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target terror group PKK 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, UK, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK's Syrian branch.​​​​​​​