SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Turkey would soon launch new military operations along its southern borders to create 30-km deep safe zones to combat terrorist threats from these regions.
“The main target of these operations will be areas which are centers of attacks to our country and safe zones,” Erdogan said, according to Reuters.
Erdogan said the operations would be launched as soon as military, intelligence and security forces have completed their preparations.
“We will soon take new steps regarding the incomplete portions of the project we started on the 30-km deep safe zone we established along our southern border,” AP quoted him as saying.
Turkish forces have launched three major incursions into northern Syria, taking control of areas along the border in a bid to secure its frontier from threats from the Islamic State group and the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
Turkey views the group as an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, (PKK) which is listed as a terror group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The PKK has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict.
