Turkey will be 'cleaned' of terrorists at any price

ANKARA

Turkey will be "cleaned of terrorists no matter what happens", Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara the day after an attack by PKK terrorists saw 16 soldiers martyred in the deadliest attack since the PKK renewed its armed campaign at the end of July, Davutoglu said: "These mountains will be cleaned of terrorists. Whatever happens they will be cleaned.

"The mountains, plains, plateaus and cities of this country will not be abandoned to the terrorists."

Davutoglu said the soldiers were initially fired on before being targeted with explosives.

The Turkish military said earlier the patrol was clearing the Daglica to Yuksekova road in the southeastern province of Hakkari on Sunday evening when they were attacked with improvised roadside devices as two armored vehicles passed.

Six other soldiers were injured in the attack.

Davutoglu said Turkish security forces had taken the control of the area around the highway and evacuated the casualties.

The army began operations around Yuksekova on Sept. 2.

"The goal is clear -- to establish public order and the dominance of legitimate security forces in every corner and every centimeter of Turkey," Davutoglu said.

The renewal of fighting between the PKK and Turkish security forces marked the end of the fragile two-and-a-half year lull to fighting as the "solution process" sought to end the 30-year conflict.

Since July, more than 90 members of the security forces have been martyred.

Davutoglu said that since the June 7 general election Turkey had faced terrorist attacks supported from outside and inside the country.

He said that since July 24, when Turkey launched airstrikes on PKK camps in Turkey and northern Iraq, the security forces had been instructed to "complete the liquidation of terrorist organizations, no matter where in Turkey they are or from which evil outbreak they are fed."

The fight against terrorism would continue despite the election rerun scheduled for Nov. 1, Davutoglu added.

"We are going to continue the fight against terror but the elections on Nov. 1 are going to be held in normal, legal and democratic conditions."