ANKARA
The Turkish parliament is set to convene Thursday to discuss a motion to extend mandate for military operations in Iraq and Syria, parliament sources said.
The motion to introduce a one-year extension to the current mandate -- set to expire on Oct. 2 -- was submitted by the former cabinet on Aug. 21, citing "increased risks and threats against Turkey's national security along the southern land borders".
The parliament had voted on Oct. 2, 2014 to authorize military action in Syria and Iraq to fight any group threatening the country, with the measure to be in effect for one year.
"Armed PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] terrorist elements continue their presence in northern Iraq. There is also a significant increase in the number of other terrorist elements in Syria and Iraq, as well as the threats they pose," the motion said.
Turkey will take all kinds of necessary measures against terrorist threats and security risks within the framework of international law, it added.
The current mandate allows military incursions into Syria and Iraq against a threat to Turkey and allows foreign forces to use Turkish territory for possible operations against the same threats including Daesh, and the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., Turkey and EU.
Turkey’s parliament has been in summer recess since July 14 -- expected to end on October 1. Thursday's extraordinary session was called two days ago by AK Party MPs, who have the majority to exceed the number of signatures needed to call such a session.
The move to extend the mandate followed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call for snap elections in Turkey, which will be held on November 1 after the failure of coalition talks between the country’s political parties.
An interim council of ministers was established and announced on Friday by Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assigned him to form a caretaker government to steer Turkey to a rerun of June’s general election.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, EU and the U.S.
