ANKARA

Turkey’s army dispatched tanks to southeastern Sirnak province's Silopi district near the border with Iraq, a military source and a Turkish minister said Tuesday.

According to the source, who asked to remain anonymous due to restrictions on talking to the media, a large number of tanks from the 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were seen leaving Ankara for Silop.

About the movement of tanks, Defense Minister Fikri Isik told reporters in Ankara: "We are right now in a serious fight against terrorist groups, both inside Turkey and just outside our border. This dispatch is part of preparation against those threats."

Isik also said Turkey "needs to be prepared for every possibility.”