6 June 2018 - 00:01

Turkey has doubled its troops in Kurdistan Region: PM

<p style="text-align: left;">Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey had doubled the number of its troops in Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq, as Turkish army has entered 20 kilometers into the region.

Turkish army has set up 11 regional bases in northern Iraq, Hurriyet Daily News quoted the PM.

“We have doubled our [military] presence in northern Iraq. We have 11 regional bases there. Our objective is to eliminate terror before terrorists can infiltrate our border,” he told reporters at an iftar dinner over the weekend.

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Monday, June 4, that the Turkish army was waiting for the right time to launch an operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Qandil region.

Turkish artillery and warplanes frequently bombard suspected PKK targets in the Kurdistan Region.

Besides airstrikes, Turkish army has entered 20 kilometers in the region, creating a number of military bases.

Reporter’s code: 50101

News Code 4679