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Turkey vows to prevent formation of terrorist-controlled zone along its border

Hulusi Akar also called on NATO allies to stop supporting terrorists

ANKARA, December 2. /TASS/. The Turkish army will continue to carry out counterterrorism operations in the country and beyond in order to prevent the formation of a zone controlled by terrorists along its southern border, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Friday, as cited by the TRT TV channel.

"The sole aim of the Turkish Armed Forces’ operations is to protect [Turkey’s] national rights and interests. We will not allow the formation of a zone controlled by terrorists along our borders," Akar said, when speaking about Turkey’s plans to conduct a ground operation against the Syria-based forces of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), designated as terrorist by Ankara.

"Operations are conducted and will be conducted when and where it is necessary," he asserted. According to Akar, 491 PKK militants have been killed in northern Syria during Operation Claw-Lock since April. He added that the Turkish army had killed about 4,500 terrorists from the Islamic State group (outlawed in Russia).

The Turkish defense chief also called on NATO allies to stop supporting terrorists. Ankara has recently been increasingly critical of the United States over its assistance to Syrian forces associated with the PKK.

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