Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkey could launch a new military operation in northern Syria at any time, Hurriyet reports.
According to him, the armed forces and police in the areas bordering Syria are in a state of constant readiness, and the decision to conduct an operation is taken by the political leadership.
The minister explained that the time to start such measures depends on many factors, including the degree of preparedness, terrain and weather conditions and political will.
Turkey’s defense minister on Tuesday reiterated Ankara's determination to continue fighting against terrorism regardless of who is behind it, Anadolu reports.
Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he paid an official visit, Hulusi Akar stressed that Turkey does not accept any terror presence on its southern border and northern Syria.
"Due to the current situation, we see that we have to make some interventions to protect our country. ... We will continue our fight until the last terrorist is neutralized," he noted.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralized” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Akar also highlighted that Turkey respects the borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty rights of all its neighbors, especially Syria and Iraq.
"Our only target is terrorists. For us, there is no ethnic, religious, or sectarian discrimination between terrorism and terrorists," he said, adding Kurds and Arabs are Turkey’s brothers and sisters.
In response to a question on a possible cross-border terror operation, the Turkish minister stressed that the Turkish Armed Forces is ready to act at any time with its equipment, weapons, motivation, and experience.
