'Turkish operations in N.Iraq are due to terror harassment'

ANKARA

Turkey has carried out cross-border operations in northern Iraq because in 2019 most of the terrorist harassment came from those regions, the Turkish interior minister said Tuesday.

Citing regions in northern Iraq near the Turkish border, Suleyman Soylu told parliament: “What do we have to do in Gara? Why do we enter Hakurk and Haftanin? 70% of the terrorist harassment came from those regions in 2019.”

Speaking in the wake of the terrorist PKK massacring 13 Turkish citizens held captive in Gara, Soylu said the PKK works to abuse both young people and their families.

“After our children were martyred, they tried to abuse their families in their deaths, just as they abused their families for five years after they massacred them,” he said.

“The PKK will not gain a victory over our families; our families will beat them,” Soylu added.

Stressing that the terrorist PKK has carried out over 6,000 massacres of civilians since it was founded in 1984, he criticized human rights groups for silence in the face of this bloodshed.

“Those that expect mercy or conscience from a terrorist group lack conscience. Those that expect morality from a terrorist group are immoral,” he said.

Turkish forces carried out the four-day Operation Claw-Eagle 2 in Gara last week to prevent the PKK and other terror groups from re-establishing positions used to carry out cross-border terror attacks on Turkey.

Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were launched last June to ensure the safety of Turkey's people and borders.

National Defense Minister Hulusi on Sunday announced the bodies of the 13 people massacred had been found.

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

*Writing by Gozde Bayar and Dilan Pamuk