Mt. Qandil not distant target anymore: Turkish min.

By Kaan Bozdogan and Feride Pelin Inal

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's interior minister on Wednesday said an anti-terror operation in northern Iraq's mountainous Qandil region is not a distant target for Turkey.

In an interview to Turkish channel NTV Suleyman Soylu said: "Diyarbakir is not free as long as Qandil stands there," referring to a possible PKK terrorist attack.

Soylu noted that Turkey has a very high level of technological capability, human resources, unmanned aerial vehicles and intelligence to carry out the operation.

"Turkey now with its capacity can launch an operation wherever and whenever it wants," Soylu added.

Airstrikes on PKK targets in northern Iraq, where the terror group has its main base in the Mt. Qandil region, near the Iranian border, have been carried out regularly since July 2015, when the PKK resumed its armed campaign.

Also on Wednesday, speaking to state news channel TRT Haber, Mahir Unal, ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s spokesman, said the operation has extended all the way to the outskirts of Mt. Qandil.

"Tens of PKK camps were destroyed. Tens of new bases were established. Qandil will be cleared of this vile PKK terrorist organization," Unal added.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children.