Turks, Kurds are brothers: Defense minister

BATMAN

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Dec. 14 emphasized that those who want to cause strife and unrest between the “Turkish and Kurdish brotherhood” will not be successful.

“Turks and Kurds are brothers. Those who want to bring unrest among them were not successful in the past and will not be successful today or tomorrow,” Akar said, visiting the southeastern province of Batman.

Just as the ISIL does not represent Muslims, the terrorist organization PKK/YPG cannot be the representative of our Kurdish brothers, he said.

Turks and Kurds have been “sharing the same bread and water for centuries,” he said, adding, “Our heroes, who sacrificed their lives for our glorious flag, lie side by side in martyrdoms. When you look at the cemeteries, especially the Çanakkale Martyrdom, you can clearly see this picture.”

Elaborating on the ongoing security operations against the PKK, the minister said the Turkish Armed Forces is carrying out the most comprehensive and effective operations in the history of the Turkish Republic.

“Our counter-terrorism operations continue at an increasing pace and violence,” he said.

Since July 24, 2015, a total of 33,112 terrorists have been killed in the country, in northern Iraq and Syria, Akar said. Since the beginning of this year, the number of terrorists killed has reached 2,631, he added.

“While doing these activities, we respect the rights, laws and borders of all our neighbors. On the other hand, we are determined to do whatever it takes to protect our country, our nation, our citizens and our borders. Our only target is terrorists. At this point, we see the collapse of the terrorist organization,” Akar stated.