ISTANBUL Türkiye does not have the luxury to stand on the sidelines when the global system is going through its biggest change since the Cold War, the country’s president said on Sunday. In his speech after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara is determined to dismantle the "bloody and treacherous death plot" fueled by the terror barons in northern Iraq's Qandil region, referring to the terrorist organization PKK. Erdogan reiterated that Türkiye is not only fighting against terrorism, but also against those who provoke terrorist organizations.
He vowed to create a safe and secure environment in and around his country. PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye. In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly.
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