Turkiye says to continue anti-PKK operations until ‘region cleared’

ANKARA: Turkiye´s military will continue acting against PKK militants in regions where they are present until it is “certain” the threat is removed following the Kurdish group´s decision to disband, the defence ministry said on Thursday, in a nod to its presence notably in Iraq.

The military will “continue to act in the regions used by the separatist PKK terrorist organisation with determination until it is certain the region is cleared and will no longer pose a threat to Turkiye”, a ministry spokesman said in a briefing. He referred specifically to “land search and scan activities, the detection and destruction of caves, shelters, mines and hand-made explosives”.

His remarks came three days after the Kurdistan Workers´ Party (PKK) announced its dissolution and the end of its four-decade insurgency that cost more than 40,000 lives. According to a ministry source, “nothing has changed” for Turkish troops following the PKK´s announcement.

“Although the terror organisation has decided to disband, we need to be careful (about provocations)... by those within the (PKK) who are unhappy with the decision,” the source added. “If the disbanding is implemented concretely, we will return to our cleaning activities without conducting an operation to prevent these areas from being used by terrorist organisations again,” he said, without elaborating further.

Blacklisted as a terrorist organisation by Turkiye and its Western allies, the PKK operates rear bases in Iraq´s autonomous Kurdistan region, where Turkiye also maintains military bases and often carries out air and ground operations against the Kurdish militants.