By Aylin Sirikli

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said the National Defense University will host international students from 22 countries.

“National Defense University will begin the new academic year -- starting next October -- with a total of 6,125 Turkish students and 661 guest students from 22 countries ,” Erdogan said at the graduation ceremony of the university’s military academy.

The university is a military higher education institution founded on July 31, 2016 under the Ministry of National Defense. 

“This way, the reconstruction process [in the military] that has started after July 15 [defeated coup] has been completed to a great extent and our war schools will be able to carry out their activities with full capacity,” he said.

Erdogan said that Turkey is committed to bringing its military to the most advanced level in terms of weapons, human resources and performance.

He added: “We will not only save our army from terrorist organizations -- especially the PKK and FETO [Fetullah Terrorist Organization]-- but also strengthen our indigenous and national qualities.”

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children.