Türkiye has renewed its commitment to a relentless fight against terrorism in the aftermath of an attack by terrorists from Syria who killed a civilian by hijacking his car and tried to storm police headquarters in the capital Ankara. The incident on a busy Sunday in the capital where Parliament held an inauguration ceremony for a new session added to the woes of Türkiye, which complains of threats of terrorism from its neighbors Iraq and Syria where the PKK terrorist group is holed up. Ministers in charge of security and defense, as well as the army and intelligence chief, convened on Wednesday amid talks of a cross-border operation in Syria to eradicate the PKK, whose Syrian wing YPG controls a region near the Turkish border.
The Defense Ministry held a press briefing on Thursday, while a ministry official said that a ground operation into Syria is one option Türkiye could consider. "Our only goal is to eliminate the terrorist organizations that pose a threat to Türkiye. A ground operation is one of the options to eliminate this threat, but it is not the only option for us," the official said.
Türkiye redoubled its operations targeting the PKK after Sunday's attack. Dozens were arrested in operations across Türkiye against the PKK. In Iraq, Turkish airstrikes targeted PKK hideouts in the mountainous north of Türkiye's southern neighbor. Similar strikes were reported in Syria though not confirmed by Turkish authorities. Turkish intelligence on Wednesday revealed that a senior PKK/YPG member responsible for a November 2022 attack on Istanbul's Istiklal Street that killed six people was eliminated in Syria.
Turkish officials said any infrastructure and energy facilities in Iraq and Syria controlled by the PKK were legitimate military targets.
"The PKK and the YPG are the same terrorist organization; they are our legitimate targets everywhere. Türkiye conducted operations whenever and wherever necessary in the past, and these operations will continue if needed again," a Defense Ministry official said. "These operations are being conducted under self-defense rights as per international laws to eliminate terrorist attacks on Turkish territory and to ensure border security."
The YPG is also the spearhead of the main ally of the U.S.-led coalition against Daesh. Support for the PKK/YPG by the United States and other allies, including France, has strained ties with Ankara.
Türkiye has warned forces of third countries to stay away from facilities controlled by the PKK and YPG. "We are calling on all parties, our friendly and allied countries in particular, to stay away from those terrorists. This is just a reminder. It is up to them to take necessary precautions," the official said, without naming any country.
Also on Thursday, Defense Minister Yaşar Güler met his Iraqi counterpart Thabet al-Abbasi in Ankara. They discussed possible joint steps on counterterrorism and border security during the talks, the Defense Ministry said. Al-Abbasi was visiting Ankara after Turkish airstrikes in northern Iraq.
