Turkey destroys 29 PKK targets in Iraq, Syria air operations: Ministry
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Turkey routinely conducts operations against sites in Syria and Iraq believed to be linked to the PKK.
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Soldiers stand near a Turkish armored vehicle on the Syrian side of the border with Turkey near Tal Abyad, Syria, September 8, 2019. (AP)
Turkey reportedly carried out air operations, destroying 29 targets affiliated with the PKK in northern Iraq and Syria, as stated by the Turkish National Defense Ministry.
According to a statement from the Turkish National Defense Ministry, air operations were conducted against targets in Iraq's Metina, Hakurk, Gara, and Qandil regions, as well as in northern Syria.
This comes one day after a PKK attack in northern Iraq that claimed the lives of nine Turkish soldiers. In response to the developing situation, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled to lead a security meeting in Istanbul on Saturday.
The meeting will be attended by key figures, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) chief Ibrahim Kalin.
A flashback
On November 20, 2022, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced that Turkey launched the "Operation Claw-Sword" offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria.
At the time, the Turkish Defense Ministry claimed that the offensive was carried out in line with the right of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is committed to destroying the PKK "until its last militant is neutralized" and raised the possibility of conducting a ground operation at the time, blaming the Kurdish militants for the November attack that killed six people in Istanbul.
