Erdoğan vows to continue cross-border operations
ANTALYA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye's counterterrorism operations would continue “until we complete the security line” along its borders.
"We are monitoring the developments in our south, which is of vital importance for our security, and planning our own moves," Erdoğan said on Jan. 31 at a gathering in the southern city of Antalya.
The meeting was part of a series of provincial gatherings leading up to his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) major congress scheduled for Feb. 28.
"We will not stop until we complete the security line we want to establish along our borders and crush the heads of all terrorist organizations," Erdoğan said.
His remarks came as Turkish forces and the allied Syrian National Army (SNA) intensified operations in northern Syria and Iraq.
The offensive follows a power shift in Syria, where long-time leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted and fled to Russia. A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has assumed control after rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swiftly captured key cities.
Turkish security sources have accused Assad’s regime of seeking support from PKK and YPG to counter the instability. The SNA has since ramped up efforts to block their movements, claiming to have severed key routes used to form a “terror corridor.”
PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union. Ankara sees YPG as its Syrian offshoot.
On domestic politics, Erdoğan vowed to maintain a unifying stance and continue the government’s development agenda.
"As long as our nation is our comrade, neither the enemies inside nor outside can disrupt our direction," he said.
"No matter what the opposition does, we will not be divisive… we will not deviate from common sense and unifying politics."
The AKP and its ruling alliance will continue to pursue "the dreams of the centuries," he added.
Erdoğan's party held an extraordinary congress held in October 2023, during which he was reelected as the leader.
It also saw a significant reshuffle in the central decision-making body, with 49 members losing their positions and 26 incumbents retaining theirs.
Notably absent from the new management list were figures such as Binali Yıldırım, Nurettin Canikli, Jülide Sarıeroğlu and Mehmet Ali Zengin.
