Defense minister and commanders visit soldiers in the new year

ISTANBUL

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler and force commanders entered the New Year with surprise visits to land, sea and air units.

The commanders met landsmen at zero point of the borderline with Syria, aviators in Diyarbakır province and mariners in Trabzon province. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Akar during his visits to military posts.

Erdoğan addressed the soldiers and said: “Your stance is fear of the enemy, trust in the friend.”

Akar, accompanying Güler, Land Forces Commander Gen. Ümit Dündar, Air Force Commander Gen. Hasan Küçükakyüz and Admiral Adnan Özbal Commander first went to Gaziantep province and visited Çıldıroba military post on the border with Syria.

The next stop of Minister Akar and commanders were the Eighth Main Jet Base Command in Diyarbakir, where they ate from the trailer in the cafeteria with the soldiers and received a briefing.

The minister and commanders then went to Trabzon and visited sailors performing the Operation Black Sea Harmony. They were briefed at TCG Yavuz frigate on the activities of the brigade. They had dinner with the sailors, and Erdoğan had a phone call with Akar to address the soldiers.

Erdoğan expressed good wishes for 2020 and said: “Especially the Peace Spring Operation and your stance after signing an agreement with Libya for the eastern Mediterranean, I celebrate you and express congratulations on behalf of my nation.”

Addressing the soldiers, Minister Akar said Turkey has prevented plans to establish a “terror corridor” in the south of the country.

“By accomplishing this, we will ensure the security of our borders and our people on the one hand and the return of their Syrian brothers to their land and homes in a safe, voluntary and respectful way,” he said.

Akar noted that Turkey complies with the deals it has made, and Ankara expects Russia and the United States to meet their obligation in these agreements.

Turkish officials regularly stay in contact with these countries to convey Turkey’s concerns over its rights and ask to meet Turkey’s expectations, he added.

Elaborating on the issue of Libya, Akar said: “It is not possible to condone the grievances of the Libyans we have lived with for centuries and the attacks on them.”

Recalling the draft motion for sending troops to Libya, the minister said: “Whatever the task we are given, we have to do it to the end. We want everyone to know that we are ready for all kinds of tasks.”