Baku, Azerbaijan, June 12
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkish Armed Forces won’t leave Iraq in order to ensure security of Turkey’s borders, Turkish National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said, Turkish media reported June 12.
The minister noted that the goal of Turkey is to clean the mountain areas of Iraq from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists and also to create a security zone in the lowland areas.
Canikli noted that the Turkish Armed Forces created military bases in Iraq and those bases make it possible to intensively fight the PKK.
The minister also noted that Turkey planned to carry out an operation against the PKK in northern Iraq a year ago.
On June 11, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish Armed Forces launched a new military operation in northern Iraq.
He stressed that the Turkish Air Force, using 20 aircraft, destroyed 14 bases of the PKK terrorists in northern Iraq.
"Turkey is determined to fight PKK," Erdogan said.
Meanwhile, Spokesman and Deputy Chairman of the Turkish ruling Justice and Development Party Mahir Unal said the Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated that military operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq may start at any moment.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said earlier that Turkey has 11 military bases in northern Iraq, which greatly facilitate the fight against PKK.
The conflict between Turkey and PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted for more than 25 years claiming more than 40,000 lives. PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU.
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