Home to NATO’s second biggest military force, Türkiye is worried about the risk of spillover of conflicts in its immediate region and multiple terror threats. The country’s top diplomat has recently joined a growing chorus of politicians and experts expressing concerns about a third world war.

Turkish defense sources on Thursday acknowledged the possibility of a global war and assured the public that the Ministry of National Defense, which oversees the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), was assessing the risks.

"Assessments are regularly made on the defense and security of Türkiye and all plans in need of update are being updated. Türkiye is one of the most ‘ready’ countries in such a situation. Armed forces can properly respond to any scenario," sources said as the ministry held its weekly press briefing in Ankara.

The country managed to dodge the massive fallout of World War II after the losses in a German-led alliance cost it the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. But this time, it has a stronger military empowered by a flourishing defense industry. Yet, the danger of being dragged into a world war lurks for the country, especially in light of Israel’s escalated threats of an all-out conflict with neighboring Lebanon. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, where Türkiye pursues a balanced diplomacy with both sides, also carries the risk of evolving into a larger war between the pro-Ukraine West and Russia.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned about the risk of World War III, amid the escalation of regional crises and the threat of nuclear war, as he highlighted Türkiye's diplomatic priority of ensuring regional and global peace.

"I think the world needs to take this scenario, this threat seriously," Fidan told a live broadcast late Monday. He pointed to Türkiye’s location, as it faces the threat of the Russia-Ukraine war in the Black Sea basin and the Israeli threat in the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Turkish diplomacy prioritizes efforts to end wars, and our president also has a will in this regard," Fidan said.

Defense Ministry sources said the TSK was a "dynamic army" engaged in activities in different parts of the world and involved in activities to support peace in various countries.

Looming ops in Iraq?

Defense Ministry officials also responded to questions regarding the alleged escalation of Turkish military activity in Iraq’s north, including "checkpoints" set up in areas with the presence of the PKK terrorist group, which killed thousands in Türkiye in the past decades.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently signaled a "summer" operation against the group in Iraq. Turkish security forces occasionally carry out operations in neighboring Iraq but an all-out offensive has been rare in recent years.

Videos on the media outlets based in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-controlled area in northern Iraq purportedly showed Turkish military trucks in rural areas and so-called checkpoints where locals are stopped and searched.

Defense Ministry sources said the Turkish army did not set up checkpoints in any populated areas while Iraqi authorities occasionally set up checkpoints in such areas and near areas of operations of Türkiye in the country. Sources said Türkiye was coordinating with Iraq on such matters.

Türkiye seeks assistance from Iraq for an efficient crackdown on the PKK. Ministry sources said technical work was underway to set up a joint operations center with Iraq and discussions on the issue were proceeding well.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, launched a bloody campaign of terrorism in the 1980s, targeting Turkish security forces and civilians, primarily in the southeastern Türkiye, close to the border with Iraq. More than 40,000 people were killed in the acts of terrorism while the PKK leadership retains a swath of territory in Iraq's north, where they have hideouts. Türkiye has conducted years of cross-border military operations against terrorists in Iraq and Syria. The PKK, under the name of YPG, also controls parts of northern Syria, right across the Turkish border.

Türkiye has, since 2019, conducted a series of cross-border operations in northern Iraq against the PKK, dubbed "Claw," the latest of which is the ongoing "Claw-Lock" launched in April 2022. It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in areas close to the Turkish border.

Türkiye and Iraq took a new step toward further counterterrorism cooperation after Erdoğan’s April visit to Iraq that took him both to Baghdad and the seat of the KRG. Erdoğan said back then that Iraq was aware that the PKK was a threat to the country’s stability and development.

Speaking at the news briefing of the Defense Ministry, Brig. Adm. Zeki Aktürk said Turkish forces eliminated 89 terrorists within the past two weeks in Iraq and Syria and the total number of terrorists eliminated since Jan. 1 has reached 1,270. Aktürk said five terrorists also turned themselves in on the Turkish-Iraqi border.

He stated that Türkiye was enhancing its capability against the terrorist group and that its efforts expanded with Operation Claw-Lock as well as through other "unprecedented" operations. He also pointed out that the military was "fully closing the security loop in Iraq’s north."