Turkey 'aware of games' to destroy country: PM Yildirim

AGRI, Turkey

The Turkish government is "aware of games" being played to destroy Turkey, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday.

Talking to the media following his visit to families of terror attack victims in Turkey's eastern Agri province, Yildirim said "the same games" being played right now in Syria and Iraq were also being played out in Turkey.

"We are aware of these plans," the premier said. "They are trying to play the same game in Turkey that is being played right now in Iraq and Syria to destroy nations and countries."

Yildirim said those who make such plans in Turkey were at "the wrong address."

"Operations against this cowardly terror group [PKK] will continue until attacks against our gendarmerie, police and rural guards are completely over," he said. "Our country has been putting up with this bitter struggle against terrorism for many years."

The premier also said the solution to terrorism was to "wipe out the terror group entirely".

Prime Minister Yildirim said operations against the PKK terrorist group will continue “until our citizens' security is ensured 100 percent."

On Thursday, seven village guards, a specialist sergeant and a soldier were martyred by the PKK in an attack in eastern Agri province, according to officials. Three soldiers and two civilians were also injured in the same attack by the terrorist group.

On Saturday, three Turkish soldiers were martyred and four others injured during a clash between PKK terrorists and security forces in southeastern Hakkari province. Five PKK terrorists were also “neutralized” in the province’s Agacdibi Village, the Hakkari Governor’s Office said in a statement.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, and resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, PKK terrorist attacks martyred more than 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of many civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists were killed in army operations.