Turkiye reiterates vow to fight terrorists in northern Syria

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkiye will continue to fight against terrorists in northern Syria until they are eradicated, the nation’s president said on Sunday.

"We are fighting against terrorists in northern Syria and we will continue it until they will be rooted out," Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an event at Ataturk Airport marking the 569th anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul.

Turkiye has launched its anti-terrorism operations to protect its borders, Erdogan added.

Since 2016, Turkiye has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

Turkiye also launched Operation Claw-Lock last month to target PKK hideouts in northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions. It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020 to root out terrorists who hide in northern Iraq and plot cross-border attacks in Turkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.