Türkiye to launch Syria ground operation against terrorists ‘when convenient’: President

ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye’s air operation in northern Iraq and Syria to clear the regions of PKK/YPG is “just the beginning” and the country will launch a ground operation in Syria “when convenient”, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

“Our operations with aircraft, artillery, and UCAVs (unmanned combat aerial vehicles) are just the beginning,” Erdogan told the Justice and Development (AK) Party group meeting in the capital Ankara.

On November 20, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Sword, a cross-border aerial campaign against the YPG/PKK which has its camps across the Iraqi and Syrian borders.

The country’s air operation followed an alleged YPG/PKK terrorist attack on November 13 on Istanbul’s crowded Istiklal Avenue that killed six people and left 81 injured.

“We will come down hard on the terrorists with a land operation at the most convenient time,” Erdogan said.

He stressed that Türkiye is more determined than ever to secure its southern border.

Türkiye has remained faithful to its promises regarding the borders of Syria, Erdogan added, saying: “If our interlocutors cannot fulfill the requirements of the agreement, we have the right to take care of ourselves.”