President Erdoğan Said He Would Not Reveal the Date, This is Turkey's Aim to Carry Out an Operation in Syria

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara would not announce the date of its planned cross-border counterterrorism operation against the PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG, but said his country was determined to launch it.

Speaking to journalists ahead of his departure for Turkmenistan, President Erdogan said Turkey would not seek authorization to carry out the operation.

"We will not specify the date of the Syrian (operation), but our goal is clear. Our goal is to create a security corridor 30 kilometers deep from our border," President Erdogan said, quoted by Daily Sabah, December 14.

Last month Turkey launched Operation Claw-Sword in northern Iraq and Syria, a cross-border air campaign against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG.

The operation was launched days after a bomb attack on Istanbul's popular Istiklal Street killed six people and injured 81 others. Turkey accuses the PKK/YPG of being behind the attack.

After the air operations began on November 20, President Erdoğan also hinted at upcoming ground operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat.

It is known that President Erdoğan designated the YPG-controlled areas of Tal Rifaat, Manbij and Ain al-Arab (Kobani) in northern Syria, as possible targets for cleaning up terrorists.