Turkey’s military has reported the killing of 21 Kurdish militants in northern Syria and Iraq, as part of ongoing operations targeting Kurdish groups. The Turkish defense ministry stated that 20 militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish YPG were killed in Syria, while one fighter was eliminated in Iraq. These operations come amid tensions between Turkey-backed Syrian forces and Kurdish militants.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the Kurdish fighters in Syria must either lay down their arms or face death, emphasizing that Turkey would continue its efforts to dismantle Kurdish groups linked to the PKK. The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the EU, and the US, has been in conflict with Turkey since 1984, and Ankara views the YPG as an extension of the PKK.
The military strikes and escalating hostilities are tied to Turkey’s broader objectives to neutralize Kurdish militancy in Syria, especially following the recent change in Syria’s leadership. Erdogan also confirmed plans to open a Turkish consulate in Aleppo and hinted at an increase in Syrian refugees returning to Turkey by next summer.
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