Fallen soldiers carried out duties knowing they might be killed: Turkish chief of staff

“The Turkish Armed Forces have shown great success on land and in the air, in line with their history and glory, thanks to our sons and martyrs who gave their lives. Great blows were dealt to terrorism thanks to them. The struggle on this issue is not over and it will continue. They carried out the duty given to them for their homeland and nation, filled with love. Each morning they knew they might be killed but they didn’t crumble,” Akar said, addressing the families of fallen soldiers during a fast-breaking iftar dinner in the capital Ankara on June 14.

He also stressed that fallen soldiers, who made great sacrifices for the country and the nation, were “irreplaceable.”

Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık had raised eyebrows on June 12 when he suggested that there was once a time when necessary military operations were not carried out due to concerns about soldiers being killed.

“We know that operations were once not carried out due to worries about casualties, despite operation orders being given,” Işık said.