Turkey may conduct combat operations inside Syria, says official

Turkey may decide to launch a foot incursion into Syria, a defence ministry official said on Thursday, after Ankara discovered that the two assailants who detonated a bomb near government facilities over the weekend were Syrian nationals. “Our only goal is to eliminate the terrorist organisations that pose a threat to Turkey. A ground operation is one of the options to eliminate this threat, but it is not the only option for us,” the official told the media. Following the bomb assault in Ankara, which the PKK claimed responsibility for, Turkey has increased its operations against the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by conducting airstrikes in northern Iraq. According to Turkish officials, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and any infrastructure or energy sites in Iraq and Syria under PKK control are valid military targets. The YPG is seen by Ankara as the PKK’s Syrian affiliate. “The PKK and the YPG are the same terrorist organisation, they are our legitimate target everywhere. Turkey conducted operations whenever and wherever necessary in the past, and these operations will continue if needed again,” a defence ministry official told the media. “These operations are being conducted under self-defence rights arising from international law to eliminate terrorist attacks on Turkish territory and to ensure border security.” The principal ally of the coalition led by the United States against Islamic State is likewise the YPG. Relationships with Ankara have been strained as a result of American and other allies’ support for the YPG, particularly France. Forces from other nations have been cautioned by Turkey to avoid areas under PKK and YPG control. “We are calling on all parties, our friendly and allied countries in particular, to stay away from those terrorists. This is just a reminder. It is up to them to take necessary precautions,” the official said, without naming any country. (With agency inputs)