Abdullah Öcalan

Amid Turkey's anti-terror operation in northern Syria, Turkey on Oct. 16 urged European countries to toughen measures against the terrorist PKK to protect its missions and citizens from the terror group's violence.

A Turkish soldier was killed on Oct. 15 by the YPG, the Syrian arm of the outlawed PKK, in Manbij region, the Defense Ministry said in a statement. 

"Turkey will continue the military operation in Syria until the terrorists are completely eliminated. The territorial integrity of Syria will be preserved," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, quoted by RIA Novosti.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 12 he hoped the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the illegal PKK, would "back up" fighting the Turkish military in northeastern Syria.

A senior U.S. official from the State Department has admitted that the YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist organization from which Turkey has been suffering horrific terrorist attacks since 1984.

Former German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has sharply criticized the U.S. for providing support to groups in northern Syria linked to the PKK terrorist organization despite repeated warnings from its NATO ally Turkey and consequently creating a deep rift between Washington and Ankara. 

PKK terrorist organization on Sept. 22 killed a civilian with a handmade explosive in southeastern Turkey.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has conveyed Turkey's intention to establish patrol bases with the United States in northeastern Syria in a bid to efficiently conduct ground patrol missions in the safe zone in the same way the Turkish Armed Forces has done in the fight against the PKK in northern Iraq.

Turkish security forces detained nine people in Syria's northwestern Afrin district for their suspected links to the PKK terror group, a local officials said on Sept. 17.

Thousands of people took to the streets across southeastern and eastern Turkey on Sept. 14 to protest against the PKK.