ANKARA, November 8. /TASS/. Turkey will take all necessary measures to combat terrorism, including the fight against terrorists of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, banned and recognized by Ankara as a terrorist organization) based in northern Iraq and Syria, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters.

"Nothing will change in our fight against terrorism. We will act with the same determination. The issue of the thirty to forty kilometer depth (of creating a safe zone in northern Syria - TASS) will continue," the Anadolu news agency quoted Erdogan as saying. The Turkish leader also added that the country's army was making efforts to pursue Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and Syria.

"We are continuing our uncompromising struggle to destroy terrorism at its roots. We are demonstrating with our actions that we will not allow the establishment of a terrorist state outside our borders. <…> Turkey will never hesitate to take all necessary measures for its defense. Our counter-terrorism efforts will end when the last terrorist is eliminated and the threat of terrorism to our country is eliminated," Erdogan said.

Earlier today, the Turkish Defense Ministry announced the elimination of 16 PKK militants in Iraq and Syria.

"In northern Iraq, ten detected PKK terrorists were destroyed in the Gara and Hakurk regions, and six more were eliminated in northern Syria in the areas of operations Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch," the statement said.

According to the ministry, a total of more than 2,500 PKK militants have been eliminated as a result of cross-border operations since the beginning of 2024.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has been going on since 1984. Turkish authorities consider the PKK a threat to national security and regularly conduct raids against its supporters in the country and operations in northern Syria and Iraq.