Anti-terror operations to persist until securing N Iraq mountains: Erdogan

Türkiye's anti-terror operations in the region will continue until the mountainous region of northern Iraq, across Türkiye’s southern border, is fully secure, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed.

"Our operations in this region will continue until we have secured every inch of the mountains in northern Iraq, which are the source of terrorist acts," Erdogan told the press after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara on Tuesday.

Over the last five days, 114 targets were hit as part of air operations in Syria and Iraq, with 78 terrorists "neutralised," he added.

Attempts to fuel and strengthen the terrorist group PKK by providing it with weapons, ammunition, training, and shelters have gained momentum, he said.

"Our cross-border operations have also foiled plots aimed at dragging Türkiye into internal turmoil through a wave of irregular migration," he added.

"Since promises made to us are not being fulfilled, no one can object to Türkiye taking the necessary measures for its own security," Erdogan stressed, referring to previous pledges to establish a buffer zone along its southern border.

Cross border operations to continue

Through successful cross border operations, Türkiye "clearly and unequivocally" showed that it will not allow any "surgical" attacks on its territory, he said.

"We have instructed our security units to destroy any terrorist elements they detect, regardless of who is next to, in their vicinity, or behind them," he added, tacitly implying that any international forces working with terrorist groups should stop doing so.

"Our military presence beyond our borders is critical to the security of our country and the peace of our citizens. There’s no going back from this." Türkiye will undoubtedly take additional steps to fight terrorism in the coming months, regardless of who says what or what threats they make, he added.

Erdogan's remarks came in the wake of fresh PKK attacks in recent days taking the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers, followed by fierce Turkish attacks on terrorist target s in northern Iraq and Syria.

Turkish parliament passes joint declaration against terrorism

The Turkish parliament passed a joint declaration against terrorism, asserting the country's will to fight against all terrorist groups regardless of where they are.

“We declare to the whole world that Türkiye has the strength to fight determinedly against all terrorist groups at home and abroad," said the motion passed by the General Assembly on Tuesday.

“We expect parliaments of other countries and international organisations to take clear, uncompromising stance against terror acts targeting Türkiye."

Türkiye warns of action if Iraq's PUK fails to change stance on PKK

"We will not hesitate to take further measures if the PUK does not change its supportive attitude towards the PKK despite our sanctions against Sulaymaniyah in Iraq,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Tuesday, speaking of the PUK party, the junior partner in the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.

Addressing the Turkish parliament, Fidan said a consultation process with Iraqi authorities continues, with great efforts being made to help their evolving understanding of PKK terrorists.

He reiterated that Türkiye will not leave the separatist terrorist group any place to feel safe along its borders or elsewhere.

Sulaymaniyah's stance on PKK

The KDP, led by the Barzani family in Irbil, and the PUK, led by the Talabani family in Sulaymaniyah, the two most influential parties of the KRG in northern Iraq, have opposing policies regarding Türkiye's anti-PKK operations.

While the KDP supports Türkiye's operations and demands the withdrawal of the PKK from the north of Iraq, PUK officials oppose these operations.

Türkiye has closed its airspace to flights to and from Iraq's Sulaymaniyah airport amid PKK terrorist activities in the region and PUK's stance on these activities.

PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Continuous cross-border operations

Fidan’s remarks came in the wake of fresh PKK attacks in recent days taking the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers, followed by fierce Turkish attacks on terrorist targets in northern Iraq and Syria.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organisation's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, UK, and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

The YPG is the PKK terror group's Syrian branch.