'Turkey is determined to clear region from terrorists'

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that Turkey is determined to ensure the country's security by clearing the region from the terrorists.

"Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, we have supported the territorial integrity of this country, and we will continue to support it. We are determined to ensure the survival and security of our country by clearing the region from terrorists," Cavusoglu said on Twitter.

Turkey will contribute to peace and stability in Syria, he added.

Since 2016, Turkey’s Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northwestern Syria have liberated the region from YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists, making it possible for Syrians who fled the violence to return home.

Turkey has long decried the threat from terrorists east of the Euphrates in northern Syria, pledging military action to prevent the formation of a "terrorist corridor" there.

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 deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. YPG is the Syrian branch of the terrorist organization PKK.