PRESS BRIEFING
A security meeting was held at the Istanbul Dolmabahçe Work Office under the chairmanship of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, Minister of Internal Affairs Ali Yerlikaya, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler, Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak, Director of National Intelligence Organization İbrahim Kalın, Director of Communications Fahrettin Altun and Chief Advisor to the President on Foreign Policy and Security Akif Çağatay Kılıç attended the meeting.
At the meeting, our counter-terrorism strategies were evaluated in their entirety, and the steps we have taken and will take in the context of the treacherous terrorist attack carried out yesterday in the Claw-Lock Operation Zone in the north of Iraq and the fight against terrorism were discussed.
We clearly state that the Republic of Turkey continues its fight against the terrorist organization PKK/YPG/KCK and its supporters with determination and determination within the framework of its strategy to prevent and destroy threats to its survival at their source.
In the operations launched after the treacherous attack, a total of 45 terrorists were neutralized, 36 in the north of Iraq and 9 in the north of Syria.
This struggle of ours will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized and the terrorist swamps in Iraq and Syria are completely drained.
The separatist terrorist organization, which has come to the point of extinction within our borders, has suffered very heavy losses as a result of our successful cross-border operations.
As the terrorist organization is cornered in Syria and Iraq, attempts to strengthen and revitalize the organization have also gained momentum.
The recent increasing terrorist attacks against our troops serving outside our borders are an insidious part of the scenarios to fatten the organization.
Turkey will definitely not allow the establishment of a "terrorism" along its southern borders, under any pretext or reason.
Within the framework of our right to self-defense and bilateral agreements, wherever there is a terrorist threat, camp, shelter, formation or cluster, it is our main priority to destroy it permanently, regardless of who is behind it.
The separatist scoundrels who are subcontractors of Turkey's enemies are and will be held accountable for every drop of blood they shed.
We are determined to disappoint both those who play a part in the traps set to hinder our goal of the Turkey Century and those who hold their strings.
We wish God's mercy to our Turkish soldiers who were martyred in the treacherous terrorist attack carried out yesterday in the Claw-Lock Operation Region in the north of Iraq.
My condolences to the families and relatives of our martyrs, our Turkish Armed Forces and our beloved nation.
We pray to God for a speedy recovery to our soldiers who were injured in the attack and whose treatment continues.
It is announced to the public with respect.
