Bahçeli backs Türkiye's military ops in Iraq, Syria

ANKARA

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli has declared his party's full support for a motion aimed at extending Türkiye's military operations in Iraq and Syria.

"Our armed forces must go as far as they can and clean the area from terrorism. Our prayers are with our security forces," Bahçeli stated during his party's group meeting on Oct. 10.

The bill, set to be voted upon in the parliament, proposes extending the Turkish army's mission in Iraq and Syria for an additional two years, starting from Oct. 30. The objective is to address the "ongoing challenges posed by terrorist organizations, particularly the PKK and ISIL, operating in adjacent areas."

In a memorandum, the presidential office stressed the critical need for prolonging the Turkish military presence in Iraq and Syria to "eliminate future attacks on our country from all terrorist organizations in Iraq and Syria."

Bahçeli made it clear that the Republican People's Party (CHP) should support the motion "if it is disturbed by terrorism." He warned that rejecting the motion would be seen as "betraying the flag and the martyrs."

"In the centenary of the republic, we will eradicate the product of terrorism. Our state will be successful," Bahçeli remarked.

The MHP leader also expressed his party's support for the recent cross-border operations initiated after the bomb attack in front of the Interior Ministry building in Ankara on Oct. 1. The attack, claimed by the PKK, resulted in one assailant detonating a bomb, while another was killed in a confrontation with the police. Two police officers sustained minor injuries during the incident.

In response to the attack, Türkiye launched airstrikes on PKK targets in Iraq and Syria. Simultaneously, law enforcement conducted numerous raids across the country, detaining dozens of individuals suspected of having links to the PKK.