Erdoğan vows to eradicate roots of terrorism

ARTVİN

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Nov. 22 pledged to fight against the outlawed PKK group “till the end” and vowed to eradicate the terrorist organization from Iraq, Syria and Turkish territory.

“We have been on top of the terrorists for a few days with our aircraft, artillery and SİHAs. Know that as soon as possible, we will root out all of them together with tanks and soldiers,” Erdoğan said at the opening ceremony of the Artvin Yusufeli Dam and hydroelectric power plant, new link roads and tunnels, and new settlement in the northeastern province of Artvin.

The president said Türkiye responded to the terror attack in Istanbul by carrying out military operations against the YPP and YPG targets in the northern regions of Syria and Iraq.

“We responded to the vile attack that cost the lives of six innocents by destroying the terrorist organization’s targets in Iraq and Syria,” he stated.
“From now on, there is only one measure for us. There is only one limit. It is the safety of our own country, our own citizens,” Erdoğan said, stressing that carrying out operations against terror groups is Türkiye’s “most legitimate right” if the case is the country’s security.

“Those who come from thousands of kilometers away for their own safety should understand this right of ours,” Erdoğan said without naming any country.

Türkiye carried out an aerial military campaign, dubbed Operation Claw-Sword, on Nov. 20 over northern regions of Syria and Iraq.

Recalling the recent attack from Syrian territory on the Karkamıç district, where three citizens were killed, Erdoğan said, “The sources of the attacks are clear. We know the identity of every single terrorist in this area.”

“We also know who is patronizing these terrorists. Our patience is not due to our helplessness or incompetence. Our patience is due to the sensitivity of obeying diplomacy until the end as a state of law. We have done our part by abiding by every agreement regarding the security of our Syrian borders,” Erdoğan said.

The president recalled that when his government announced its goals for 2023 to the public 11 years ago, some people had “sneered at them and mocked them of their wisdom. “

“Over all these years, even though some circles have continuously sought to waste our time and energy, Türkiye has already gone beyond regional leadership and now has a say on a global scale. The democracy and development standards, which we could not even dream of 25 years ago, are now each a natural part of our daily lives,” he stated.