Turkish defense minister vows to continue fighting terrorists whoever behind them

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

Turkiye's defense minister on Tuesday reiterated Ankara's determination to continue fighting against terrorism regardless of who is behind it.

Speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi, where he paid an official visit, Hulusi Akar stressed that Turkiye 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 Turkiye 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 Turkiye'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.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

Ties with UAE

Referring to his official contacts and meetings in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Akar said he is expecting "important and positive developments" soon on bilateral cooperation in the military education and defense industry.

"We consider that the work we will do will contribute not only to our countries but also to the peace and stability of the region," he added.

Akar’s visit is significant as it is the first one by a Turkish defense minister to the UAE in 15 years.

After years of tense relations, there has been a major thaw in ties between Turkiye and the Arab world.

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's November 2021 visit led to the announcement of a $10 billion fund for investments in Turkiye. The countries also signed several agreements on energy, environment, finance, and trade.

In February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also visited the UAE, and the two countries inked 13 agreements in various fields.