Reacting to the recent attack on the country's bases in Iraq, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkish forces are retaliating against the attacks, Mehr News Agency reports.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are retaliating in fold against the attacks in northern Iraq, Akar said Wednesday following a rocket attack on a Turkish base in the region.
“Terrorists there often harass our troops and Turkish forces immediately give the necessary response,” Akar asserted.
“They fight with increasing ambition and determination despite the harsh winter. We will continue fighting until terrorism is eradicated at its root in northern Syria and northern Iraq. Let nobody doubt it,” he claimed, according to Daily Sabah.
His remarks came after a cluster of rockets targeted a Turkish military base in northern Iraq earlier on Wednesday.
Turkey has built many military bases on Iraqi soil despite opposition and condemnation from the Iraqi and Kurdish authorities under the alleged fight against the PKK.
The Turkish army has recently launched a new operation (Claw-Lock) in northern Iraq against PKK, using fighter jets, artillery, and ground special forces.
The Turkish President has said that the goal of the operation is to secure the country's borders. He also said that Turkey and Iraq are closely working on this matter.
However, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry has urged Turkey to withdraw its forces from the north, saying that Baghdad has the right to use all resources to respond to the violation of its sovereignty.
According to some sources, the Turkish army has so far established a large number of military bases inside the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq under the pretext of fighting the PKK.
