Turkey convenes 2017 first national security meeting

By Ilkay Guder and Sinan Uslu

ANKARA

Turkey is dedicated to fighting terror attacks, strengthening a cease-fire in Syria and a finding a solution in Cypress, according to a statement Wednesday following the first National Security Council meeting of the year.

Turkey will take precautions against "asymmetrical terror attacks" at home and abroad was reiterated, the statement said.

More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks since the terror group resumed its decades-long campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. More than 4,000 security personnel and north of 2,000 civilians also have been injured.

In anti-terror operations, more than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended. Approximately 5,500 weapons, 652,000 rounds of ammunition, more than 142 tons of explosives and 15,000 bombs have been seized.

The closed-to-press eight-hour meeting was chaired by President Rcep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex and was attended by deputy prime ministers, justice, foreign affairs and internal affairs ministers.

"The Geneva talks, which aim to find a solution to the Cyprus matter, was discussed thoroughly and the steps to protect the rights and interests of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus were also evaluated in the meeting," the statement read.

It also mentioned the Astana talks that focus on the civil war in Syria, and said "keeping and strengthening the ceasefire and the Astana talks were discussed in detail".

During the Astana talks last week, Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed to establish a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the cease-fire.

Representatives of the Syrian government, armed opposition groups, UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura and U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol were part of the taks.