Turkey’s top security board has reiterated the country’s determination to take all possible measures to secure the borders and citizens from terrorists amid preparations for a new ground operation into northern Syria.
The National Security Council (MGK) convened under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and with the participation of senior ministers as well as military brass and intelligence head late on Dec. 1.
The participants made a comprehensive assessment of the internal and external security threats and the ongoing fight against terror organizations, namely the PKK/YPG and the FETÖ.
The meeting came as the Turkish military’s aerial Claw-Sword Operation against the PKK/YPG targets continues in northern Iraq and northern Syria, in reaction to the deadly Istanbul attack by terrorists.
A communiqué released after the MGK meeting underlined that the sole objective of these operations, which are being carried out in line with Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, is terrorists. The MGK underlined that all necessary measures will be taken to secure the borders, cities and citizens of Türkiye by not tolerating the presence of terrorists along its borders.
The MGK was also briefed about the ongoing operations on Türkiye’s southern borders amid preparations for a cross-border ground operation into northern Syria. Erdoğan, in an earlier statement, stressed that the military’s targets will be Tal Rifat, Menbij and Ain al-Arab, where the area is controlled by the YPG.
hurriyetdailynews.com