Türkiye to end military operations in N. Iraq, Syria soon - Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on July 13 the imminent conclusion of Turkish forces' operation against the Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq and Syria, Report informs referring to Xinhua.

"We are soon locking down the area of operation in northern Iraq," Erdogan stated during the graduation ceremony of the National Defence University in Istanbul.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in northern Iraq in 2022 to target the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions.

The president noted that the separatist organization is no longer able to carry out actions within Türkiye's borders, while in Iraq and Syria, it is increasingly cornered.

"In Syria, we will complete the missing links of the security belt along our southern border, based on Syria's territorial integrity," said Erdogan, referring to the Turkish army's operations in northern Syria against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG).