ANKARA
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Wednesday that Türkiye can produce almost everything it needs at its defense industry facilities.
"This is a great advantage for our country and the Turkish Armed Forces," Guler told the Haberturk news channel.
On Türkiye's counter-terrorism operations conducted against terrorist organizations such as the PKK, he said: “Various resources in the world are fed by countries. And these activities are still ongoing. But we believe that no matter who stands behind them, we will bury them in the pages of history together as soon as possible."
'We have turned the terrorist organization into completely helpless situation'
"Our units have been continuing their heroic fights in the base areas for about eight years. We have turned the terrorist organization into a completely helpless situation. A very effective fight continues with the successful activities of our security forces," Guler said.
"We continue to pursue it (the terror group) wherever it goes."
Guler also called on the terrorists to surrender to Turkish justice, as it is the "inevitable end" for them.
"We have seen many terrorists escape from the organization this year. Turkish soldiers have not raised their hands against anyone who has surrendered," he added.
Asked about the stage reached in establishing a joint operations center with the Iraqi authorities against the terrorist PKK, Guler said that everything is developing positively as planned.
Noting that the Iraqi government banned the three parties founded by the terrorist PKK in the country and seized their assets, he said: "Our Iraqi friends are coming to Ankara for a meeting on Thursday.”
"Our foreign minister, I and the head of the National Intelligence Organization will hold a one-day meeting, and we will continue to do our best to develop relations."
Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council on Aug. 6 banned the activities of three parties for links with the PKK terrorist group.
On July 23, the Iraqi government issued a directive for state institutions to refer to the PKK as a "banned organization" in official correspondence.
Previously, the Iraqi government had declared the PKK as a "banned organization."
Asked whether he saw signs that the Sulaymaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was distancing itself from the terrorist PKK, Guler noted: "Unfortunately, according to the information we have, the PUK continues to develop its relations with the terrorist organization.
Stressing that "Iraq suffers from these people as much as we do," he said "the best course of action" is to cut off ties with the terrorist organization.
Noting that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making great efforts to create an environment of peace in the region, Guler said Erdogan "says 'we can start peace talks' with the Syrian regime. We have conditions for us to start these. The Syrian regime says 'if you inform us of the withdrawal date, we will meet.'”
"In other words, we perceive such a thing as 'I do not want a period of peace and tranquility.' Accept an inclusive constitution. Hold your free elections, and whoever comes to power in the end, we say 'we are ready to work with them.'"
Regarding the PKK’s Syrian offshoot the YPG terror group, Guler said the PYD and the PKK are the same.
"It is impossible not to understand this. Our friends tell us, 'We need a force to fight Daesh(/ISIS). I have openly expressed this to our American friends: 'Do you really want to fight Daesh? ‘Yes, I do.' Then we will give you as much force as you need," he said.
Türkiye has long complained of the US working with the PKK and its offshoots on the pretext of fighting the Daesh/ISIS terror group. Turkish officials say using one terrorist group to fight another makes no sense.
Asked about the US providing air defense systems to the YPG, Guler said the US did bring the systems to northern Syria to protect their base areas from possible missile and rocket attacks.
"We hear that they are training some PYD members there. This is unacceptable," he said, adding Türkiye thinks that the US will hand over these systems to the terror group while leaving the region in the future.
Türkiye has long complained of the US working with the PKK/YPG on the pretext of fighting Daesh/ISIS.
Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations since 2016 across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
Terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq, just across the Turkish border, to plot terror attacks in Türkiye.
Türkiye in 2022 launched Operation Claw-Lock to target the terror group PKK's hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions.
On Türkiye's F-16 procurement process, Guler said: "The talks with our US friends regarding the F-16s have always been positive. They are understanding, but we have not yet reached the end and signed.”
"We want to buy 40 F-16 Viper Block 70s. We want the ammunition that will come with them. Our US friends are currently examining this positively and are giving their answers in a timely manner. It continues positively."
On Jan. 26, the US State Department approved the $23 billion sale of F-16 aircraft and modernization kits to Türkiye after getting the greenlight for Sweden’s NATO membership from Türkiye – itself a NATO member for over 70 years.
Türkiye in October 2021 requested from the US 40 new F-16 Block 70 aircraft as well as 79 modernization kits to upgrade its remaining F-16s to Block 70 level.
Türkiye also received a draft offer and letter of acceptance from the US on the procurement of the new jets in February, according to the Turkish National Defense Ministry.
Regarding the procurement of Eurofighter aircraft, Guler said: "I think we are approaching the end."
Noting that three of the Eurofighter partner countries support Türkiye, he said: "We are also hearing positive developments in Germany. Hopefully, it will be concluded soon."
Guler also noted that confidence building activities with Greece were continuing and that they supported this.
Asked about Israel's attacks on Gaza and Iran-Israel tensions, he said: "What is happening in Gaza has long since surpassed the human dimension. It has reached an unacceptable point and it does not seem like it will stop."
"It has turned into genocide. Women and children have become the number one target," he added.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an attack last October by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Nearly 40,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 92,000 others have been injured, according to local health authorities.
*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul
