UPDATE - Turkey 'most decisive' in anti-Daesh fight: PM Yildirim

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM YILDIRIM

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey has been the most decisive country participating in the fight against Daesh, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Monday.

Speaking at a conference during his official visit to Singapore, Yildirim said Turkey had cleared more than 2,000 square kilometers (772 square miles) of territory from Daesh during Operation Euphrates Shield.

"So far, 3,800 in Syria, 800 in Iraq -- in total 4,600 Daesh terrorists -- have been neutralized. Today, no other country has been more decisive in the fight against Daesh like Turkey," he said.

Operation Euphrates Shield saw Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish military take territory in northern Syria from Daesh between August last year and March.

Yildirim said Turkey continues to have an active role in the global coalition’s fight against Daesh.

"Terrorism is a serious threat to national, regional and global security.

"Close cooperation internationally in the fight against terrorism is a must."

Turkey has been fighting against PKK terrorism for 40 years, he said.

In fact, Turkey has been actively engaged in the fight against Daesh, PKK, PYD, YPG and Fetullah Terrorist Organisation, he added.

"In order to end the global threat by terrorist organizations, all countries should fight them through joint efforts, without making distinctions between them and without stressing their ethnic structure or identity," he said.

Yildirim touched on situation in Iraq and Syria while speaking at the Turkey-Singapore Business Forum.

"This confusion in Syria, Iraq will probably not last for long."

Turkey and other countries were making great efforts to end the problems in the two Middle Eastern countries, he said.

He added Turkey would become the "most stable" country in the next decades.