Anadolu Agency's Morning Briefing - Nov. 29, 2022

ISTANBUL (AA) - Anadolu Agency is here with a rundown of the latest developments around the world.

Türkiye is committed to destroying the PKK terrorist group until its last terrorist is neutralized, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday.

"The terrorist organization, which has suffered great losses in operations Türkiye carried out along its southern borders, showed its dirty face by shedding the blood of innocents with its mortar attacks on civilian settlements on our borders," said Erdogan, referring to cross-border terrorist attacks last week from YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria into southern Türkiye.

"We repeat once again our commitment to destroy the terrorist group that murdered a 5-year-old boy and a 22-year-old teacher in the attack in Gaziantep’s (border) district of Karkamis until its last militant is neutralized,” Erdogan said after a Cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara.

The US backed Türkiye's right to self-defense following this month's terrorist attack in Istanbul but emphasized the need for de-escalation in Syria.

"Turkey continues to fall victim to terrorist attacks, whether its near that border or elsewhere inside the country. And they have a right to defend themselves and their citizens against attacks," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a briefing.

Turkish police released a photo of Bilal Hassan, a fugitive suspect of the Nov. 13 Istanbul terror attack.

With Türkiye and Egypt seeking to normalize ties, the Turkish foreign minister said his country may appoint an ambassador to Egypt in the coming months.

Sweden and Finland are yet to take "concrete steps" under a trilateral memorandum, Mevlut Cavusoglu also said, noting that Sweden is the country that needs to take more steps.

Türkiye, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum on June 28 at the NATO summit in Madrid to address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for NATO membership of the two Nordic countries.