UPDATE - Türkiye will 'by no means' allow terror groups: President Erdogan

ADDS MORE REMARKS OF TURKISH PRESIDENT AND BACKGROUND

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye will not allow terror organizations along its southern Syria border, and northern Iraq, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday said, reiterating Ankara's resolute fight against terrorism.

"We will by no means allow a terrorist organization in Türkiye's south, Syria's north, or Iraq's north to exist," Erdogan said after the Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

Turning to Syria's northern city of Tal Rifaat, Erdogan said Türkiye is successfully implementing its strategy to eliminate terrorism at its source, and a climate of peace and security prevails in the regions that Ankara cleared of terrorists in northern Syria.

"We will ultimately secure the places near our border where terrorists cluster, particularly Tal Rifaat," he added.

About Türkiye's Operation Claw Lock in northern Iraq, Erdogan said: "We constantly increase the pressure on terrorists with our point operations from air and land."

His remarks came after Turkish security forces “neutralized” 11 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq in the Operation Claw Lock zone on Wednesday.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock last year in April to target the PKK terror group’s hideouts in the Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, located near the Turkish border.

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.