Turkiye forces have killed a total of 21 “terrorists” in northern Syria and Iraq over the past four days, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on the 22nd (local time).
Akar said three terrorists were also killed in the Jaff region in northern Iraq at an event held in Kayseri province in central Turkey, according to a report by the Turkiye semi-official Anadolu news agency.
Akar accused the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of being “a tool in the hands of the imperialists” and hindering the development of Turkey, and said that the Turkiye government would definitely eradicate the PKK in the future.
He warned that Turkey will not end its battle against these “terrorists” until stability of its borders and national security are achieved.
The Kurdish PKK party has been in conflict with the Turkish army for over 30 years and has been defined as a terrorist organization by the Turkish government, the United States and the European Union.
Türkiye carried out aerial strikes against several villages in northern Syria and northern Iraq in November 2022 as well. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Turkiye warplanes carried out about 25 airstrikes and killed about 12 people, including soldiers.
The airstrike was a retaliatory strike after blaming Kurdish militants for a bombing in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, which left six dead and injured some 80. However, Kurdish forces in Syria, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Kurdistan Democratic United Party (PYD), denied that they were responsible for the Istanbul bombings.
While Turkey has maintained a long-standing, tense relationship with Kurdish separatist militants based in the eastern part of the country, northern Syria, and northern Iraq, whenever the opportunity presents itself, it has deployed troops not only domestically but also across the borders of neighboring countries such as Iraq and Syria. They were deployed to carry out a sweeping operation.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.