Turkey 'has 11 temporary military bases' in northern Iraq
Speaking in a live interview to Turkish broadcaster A Haber, Premier Yıldırım said in his televised comments that Turkey had 11 temporary military bases in Iraq's norhern region.
- World
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 12:00 | 21 June 2018
- Modified Date: 01:17 | 21 June 2018
Turkey has 11 temporary military bases in northern Iraq, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Thursday.
Speaking in a live interview to private A Haber broadcaster, Yildirim also said 400 square-kilometers of the region has been cleared of terrorists.
"We are shelling Mt. Qandil through air operations at times. This time PKK terrorists are crossing into Iran when they are on the back foot," the prime minister said.
He added Turkey has no problem with Iran over its Qandil operation.
"We cleared the area in northwestern Syria's Afrin during Operation Olive Branch. We will do the same thing in Mt. Qandil area," the prime minister added.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin region. On March 18, Day 58 of the operation, Turkish troops, and Free Syrian Army members liberated the town of Afrin.
Turkey has been conducting a counter-terrorism operation in the area to clear it of PKK terrorists.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
The group's three-decade-long terror campaign against Turkey has left more than 40,000 people dead, including numerous women and children.