Speaking at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Tuesday, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler provided information about the fight against terrorism.
Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler stressed in his speech, "Questions like 'What is the army doing there?' are being asked. Today, not a single martyrdom news is received from within the country. This shows the success of our strategy to eliminate terrorism at its source. If we were not there, much greater costs would have been incurred in our cities."
Highlights from Minister Güler's statements:
"After receiving news of martyrdom, speculations are created by some circles. It is also observed that this is aimed at ignoring our heroic soldiers.
Questions like 'What is the army doing there?' are being asked. Undoubtedly, these statements seem to have forgotten the costs we paid due to events in Iraq and Syria in the recent past. Instead of unity on such a sensitive issue, using pain as political material is never acceptable. There can be criticisms, but unity should be maintained.
The need for more effective struggle beyond the borders arose with terrorists nesting so close to us. In this context, starting from 2016, we implemented a strategy to ensure the security of our borders in advance and to eliminate terrorism at its source.
They mention the cost we paid in Syria, yes, Türkiye has paid a price, but it paid before taking the necessary precautions in Syria. The situation in the region changed after the operations.
Limited, target-specific, and time-bound operations have now given way to continuous operations. In this framework, the Claw operations initiated by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in 2019 have enabled us to achieve significant gains in preventing the terrorist organization's mobility.
Thanks to the base area strategy, we have established a secure line 30 kilometers deep. With Operation Claw Lock, the lock has been closed.
The transfer of ammunition by the terrorist organization has been brought to an end. Therefore, after the Claw operations, PKK attack areas that suffered severe damage became our priority.
If we were not there, attacks on our borders would continue, and greater costs would be paid in our cities. Not a single martyrdom news is received from within the country. This also shows the success of our strategy. As security is provided in the provinces, terror regions attract investments and become centers of attraction. I invite you to visit these cities to see the security and peace environment established.
If oil can be extracted from Gabar, and festivals can be held in the plateaus of Hakkari, it is thanks to our strategy to eliminate terrorism at its source. The established security and peace environment in the country did not come easily. Currently, our heroic soldiers are serving in challenging conditions for the peace of their country. Unfortunately, we also have martyrs.
Low attacks by treacherous PKK terrorists on our base areas were carried out in an environment where there was no line of sight. Most of the terrorists approaching our base areas have been neutralized. Our heroic children beyond our borders work in base areas with all kinds of equipment and use technology.
Currently, 80 of our doctors serve in base areas. Field hospitals were established for Operation Claw Lock in Çukurca, Hakkari, providing services. The fastest vehicles, including helicopters, are used in base areas. Our sensitivity is at the highest level.
The last struggles of terrorists who became helpless against our soldiers. Our reaching Zap dealt a blow to the last resistance of the organization in the Claw-Lock area.
In the Claw region, there were 3,151 harassment and infiltration attempts by PKK terrorists against our base areas. In response to these attacks, 1,689 terrorists were neutralized in the north of Iraq. Terror targets in northern Iraq and Syria were hit. A total of 114 targets were destroyed. 78 terrorists were neutralized, and the blood of our martyrs was not left on the ground. Of course, none of these is worth even a nail of our martyrs. It does not alleviate our pain. Therefore, we will continue our struggle until the last terrorist is neutralized, without taking a step back.
No matter who supports or for what reason, under no circumstances will we allow the establishment of a terrorist corridor along our southern borders. We will implement any measure with determination to protect the legitimate interests of our country.
We are determined to thwart the dirty plans of countries that secretly and openly support terrorists."
