Turkish Presidential Spokesman: Ground Attack May Be Launched Anytime

Illustration of United States and Turkish combat vehicles in Syria. (Wikimedia Commons/Stff. Timothy Koster)

JAKARTA - Turkey's planned ground operation against terrorist groups in northern Syria could be launched at any time, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalın said on Tuesday.

Speaking during an interview on A Haber television, Kalın said Turkey would not need anyone's permission.

"The operation can be carried out in various ways. It can be tomorrow, next week or at any time. Turkey will determine the time, place and scope," Kalin explained, quoted from Daily Sabah, November 30.

"The Istiklal attack completely changed the process. Wherever it came from, we are continuing to work to end this threat. Our operations will continue," he warned.

Kalın further underlined that three previous Turkish operations prevented the formation of a terror corridor between northern Iraq and the Eastern Mediterranean.

"Our President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) has been calling for a safe zone for world leaders since (former US President Barack) Obama. If it was a safe zone (30 kilometers deep), there would be no migration or terrorist attacks like that," he explained.

Earlier this week, President Erdogan said Turkey is committed to destroying the PKK terrorist group, until the last terrorist is annihilated.

"The terrorist organization, which has suffered heavy losses in the operations carried out by Turkey along its southern border, is showing its dirty face by shedding the blood of innocent people with its mortar attacks on civilian settlements on our borders," President Erdogan explained, referring to cross-border. terror attack last week from YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria to southern Turkey.

"We repeat once again, our commitment to destroy the terrorist group that killed a 5-year-old boy and a 22-year-old teacher in an attack on Gaziantep's Karkamış (border) District, until the last militant is neutralized," President Erdoğan said after a Cabinet meeting. in the capital city of Ankara.

President Erdogan said Turkey's determination to build a 30-kilometre (18.6-mile) deep security strip next to its border continues, something the United States and Russia had previously wanted to do on its southern border.

Turkish officials have complained that Washington and Moscow have failed to enforce their agreement.

"We don't need to get permission from anyone when taking steps regarding the security of our homeland and people. And we will not be held accountable to anyone," President Erdogan added.

Recently, Turkey launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border air campaign against the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian wing, the YPG, which have illegal hideouts across the borders of Iraq and Syria where they plan attacks on Turkish soil.

The country's air operation follows the PKK/YPG terrorist attack on November 13 on the busy Istiklal Street in Istanbul that killed six people and left 81 injured.

After the air operations were launched, President Erdoğan also hinted at ground operations to northern Iraq and northern Syria to eliminate the terrorist threat, adding, "This is not limited to just air operations."

President Erdogan identified the YPG-controlled areas of Tal Rifaat, Manbij, and Ain al-Arab (Kobani) in northern Syria as possible targets for purging terrorists.

The PKK is a terrorist organization branded in the United States, Turkey and the European Union, and Washington's support for its Syrian affiliate has been a major strain on bilateral relations with Ankara.

The US has primarily partnered with PKK/YPG terrorists in northeastern Syria in its fight against the Islamic State terrorist group. On the other hand, Türkiye strongly opposes the presence of the PKK/YPG in northern Syria.