Türkiye to expand scope of cross-border ops against PKK: Erdoğan

The scope of Türkiye's military operations into northern Iraq and Syria will expand in the coming months to eliminate the presence of the PKK and the YPG, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, accusing the United States and Russia of not keeping the promises they had given to Türkiye to this end.

"No one can expect us to stand idly by while the separatist traitors are being bolstered under various excuses. In the months ahead, we will definitely take new steps in this direction, regardless of who says what, what threats they utter, or what aspirations they run after," Erdoğan said after the cabinet meeting late on Jan. 16.

Erdoğan's statement followed two separate attacks by the PKK in northern Iraq that killed 21 Turkish troops in less than a month. The president reiterated Türkiye's firmness in eliminating all the terrorist threats along the country's southern borders and reminded that both the U.S. and Russia had promised to push the YPG 30 kilometers off the Turkish borders in 2019.

"Since the promises made to us are not being fulfilled, no one can object to Türkiye taking necessary measures for its own security," he said.

The PKK's attacks against the Turkish troops have not gone unpunished and 114 terrorist targets were hit in retaliatory strikes by the Turkish army and 60 critical infrastructure and ammunition facilities of the PKK were hit by the intelligence agency, Erdoğan explained.

"We have instructed our security units to destroy any terrorist elements they detect, regardless of who is next to, in their vicinity, or behind them," he stressed.

Türkiye's new anti-terror strategy that aims to eliminate terrorism at its source and before it reaches Turkish soil has disturbed those who seek to create a terror...