Türkiye to expand scope of cross-border ops against PKK: Erdoğan

ANKARA

The scope of Türkiye’s military operations into northern Iraq and Syria will expand in the coming months to eliminate the presence of the PKK and the YPG, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, accusing the United States and Russia of not keeping the promises they had given to Türkiye to this end.

“No one can expect us to stand idly by while the separatist traitors are being bolstered under various excuses. In the months ahead, we will definitely take new steps in this direction, regardless of who says what, what threats they utter, or what aspirations they run after,” Erdoğan said after the cabinet meeting late on Jan. 16.

Erdoğan’s statement followed two separate attacks by the PKK in northern Iraq that killed 21 Turkish troops in less than a month. The president reiterated Türkiye’s firmness in eliminating all the terrorist threats along the country’s southern borders and reminded that both the U.S. and Russia had promised to push the YPG 30 kilometers off the Turkish borders in 2019.

“Since the promises made to us are not being fulfilled, no one can object to Türkiye taking necessary measures for its own security,” he said.

The PKK’s attacks against the Turkish troops have not gone unpunished and 114 terrorist targets were hit in retaliatory strikes by the Turkish army and 60 critical infrastructure and ammunition facilities of the PKK were hit by the intelligence agency, Erdoğan explained.

“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 stressed.

Türkiye’s new anti-terror strategy that aims to eliminate terrorism at its source and before it reaches Turkish soil has disturbed those who seek to create a terror state in the region, Erdoğan recalled.

“As Türkiye has eliminated terrorist ringleaders at places where they feel safe, attempts to hinder our country have further intensified. Attempts to fortify the PKK terrorist organization by providing it with weapons, ammunition, training and protection have gained momentum,” he said.

Türkiye’s ops prevented new refugee flows

Türkiye’s cross-border operations into northern Syria have not only prevented the establishment of a terror corridor but also a new refugee influx from this country, the president suggested.

“Our cross-border operations have also foiled plots aimed at dragging Türkiye into internal turmoil through a wave of irregular migration,” he said, adding that Türkiye’s military presence beyond its borders is critical to the security of our country and the peace of our citizens.

“The picture before us is quite clear. Türkiye will either eliminate the terror threat at its source or will conduct an anti-terror war within its borders, in the streets and avenues of its cities, as had been the case in the past. We can never allow our country to face such a possibility,” Erdoğan stated.

Repeating that the government will not allow the creation of what he calls a "terroristan" along its borders, Erdoğan vowed, “Our operations in this region will continue until we have secured every inch of the Northern Iraq mountains, which are the source of terrorist acts that hurt our citizens for nearly 40 years. Similarly, we will not stop until we have destroyed all of the terrorist nests established with insidious intentions in Syria, from Tell Rifaat to Ayn al-Arab, Al-Hasakah to Manbij."