Turkey may conduct new operations in Iraq and Syria if needed

Turkey might conduct more cross-border operations into Iraq and Syria if needed following the deaths of nine Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq last week, a Turkish defense ministry official said on Thursday.

The nine were killed in clashes with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, prompting Ankara to conduct air strikes and other operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria.

"Under international law and self-defense, Turkey has every right to conduct operations for its border security. Turkish Armed Forces has done and will do whatever needed where and when necessary," the defense ministry official told reporters.

The clashes were in the Zap region of northern Iraq, when PKK militants attacked a security point set up by Turkish Armed Forces at an altitude of 1,740 meters, a Turkish defense ministry official said.

Turkey has since 2019 conducted a series of cross-border operations in northern Iraq against the PKK dubbed "Claw." The official said Zap was where the operation "Claw-Lock" is taking place, aimed at making the Turkish-Iraqi border completely safe.



Reuters