Mustafa Çağlayan
September 26, 2015•Update: September 26, 2015
NEW YORK
The terror threat against Turkey has been largely eliminated due to successful counter-terrorism operations, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu declared Friday.
He said the threat from Daesh, PKK and DHKP-C terrorist groups since late July had been tackled in a series of anti-terror operations.
“With these simultaneous operations, as of now, I would like to say that the backbone of the terrorist threat towards Turkey has been broken,” the premier said.
“In northern Iraq, PKK shelters, ammunition depots and headquarters, and in Syria, all structures posing a threat by Daesh to our border have been largely neutralized. We also have come a long way towards maintaining public security and sovereignty.”
Davutoglu's remarks came on the first day of his New York visit at a meeting hosted by the Turken Foundation, a civil society group that helps Turkish students in the U.S.
The rise in attacks by Daesh, PKK and DHKP-C on Turkey followed the July 20 Suruc massacre in Sanliurfa province. Turkey responded by launching airstrikes and other counter-terrorism operations against the groups.
“Our most important aim is to ensure the rule of democracy and public safety over the country as we get closer to Nov. 1 elections,” Davutoglu said, referring to the rerun of the June general election, which saw no party win a simple majority.
Davutoglu said Turkey would strengthen human rights and liberties while maintaining the balance between freedoms and security.
On the second day of his visit, the prime minister will co-chair one of six sessions of the UN development summit. A meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also scheduled to discuss Syria and the refugee crisis.
