Ankara- Turkey has made a significant assertion, revealing that two suspected Kurdish militants responsible for a weekend attack in Ankara received training in Syria. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan conveyed that Turkey now retains the prerogative to target a broader spectrum of Kurdish entities in both Syria and Iraq as a retaliatory measure in response to Sunday’s assault.
During the incident on Sunday, Turkish police neutralized one of the assailants, while the other met his end in an apparent suicide explosion near Turkey’s interior ministry. Two police officers sustained injuries during the encounter.
Fidan, in a televised statement, disclosed, “Through the diligent efforts of our security forces, it has been ascertained that the two terrorists originated from Syria and received training there.” He continued, “Henceforth, all infrastructure, major installations, and energy facilities affiliated with armed Kurdish groups in Iraq and Syria are deemed legitimate targets for our security forces.”
A faction of the Kurdish PKK militia, classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack, marking the first such incident in Ankara since 2016. In response, Turkey promptly conducted airstrikes against PKK targets in Iraq.
Fidan’s remarks suggest the possibility of Turkey expanding its airstrikes to encompass war-torn Syria. In Syria, Kurdish groups have established a semi-autonomous region in the northern and eastern parts of the country.
The US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), functioning as the de facto Kurdish armed force in the region, spearheaded the campaign that ousted Islamic State group militants from their last remaining Syrian territories in 2019. However, Turkey perceives the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which hold sway within the SDF, as an offshoot of the PKK.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recurrently voiced his intentions to extend military operations against the YPG.
