Statement from the Ministry of National Defense regarding HTS's advance in Syria

The Ministry of National Defense (MSB) held its weekly briefing.

Speaking at the press conference held at the Ministry, Rear Admiral Zeki Aktürk, Press and Public Relations Advisor to the Ministry of National Defense, provided updates on the latest developments on the agenda.

Reminding that the Turkish Armed Forces have closed the lock in Zap and that the fight against terrorism is continuing uninterrupted, Rear Admiral Aktürk stated, “Our Turkish Armed Forces have neutralized 53 terrorists in the last week, and 2,664 terrorists since January 1, including 1,392 in northern Iraq and 1,272 in northern Syria. During the search and sweep operations continuing in the Claw-Lock Operation region in northern Iraq, a large number of weapons, ammunition, and equipment belonging to the terrorists have been seized.”

Rear Admiral Aktürk also reported that 2 more PKK terrorists who fled from their shelters in northern Iraq surrendered to the border outpost in Habur.

Addressing the latest developments in Syria, Rear Admiral Aktürk noted the following:

“The activities initiated by opposition groups in the Aleppo region in Syria and the related developments are being closely monitored within the scope of the importance and priority we place on Syria's unity and territorial integrity, as well as the fight against terrorism. All necessary measures are being taken by our units to maintain stability in the region, and close cooperation and coordination with our counterparts in the region have continued since the very beginning of the process.

The recent developments and the emerging situation are issues that have remained unresolved for a long time due to the opposition's demands and the regime's failure to take them into account, and they stem from Syria's internal dynamics.

In this context, we once again emphasize that we abide by the agreements we have made in the operation zones in northern Syria, that we expect our counterparts to do the same, that we support Syria's territorial integrity, that we will not allow the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, which poses a grave threat to Syria's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the security of our region, to take advantage of the instability in the region, and that our stance on fighting against terrorist organizations operating in the region is clear.”

Stating that the Turkish Armed Forces have established the highest level of security along the border line, Rear Admiral Aktürk said, “With the effective and high-level security measures taken, 177 individuals, including 9 members of terrorist organizations, who were trying to cross illegally, have been caught at our borders where the highest level of security has been established in the last week, while 2,251 individuals were prevented before they could cross the border. Thus, the number of those caught while trying to cross our borders illegally since January 1 has risen to 13,304, and the number of people prevented before they could cross the border has risen to 92,730.”

Rear Admiral Aktürk continued his speech as follows:

“Although our agenda is focused on the developments in Syria, Israel continues to threaten the security and stability of our region, deprive the Palestinian people of all kinds of humanitarian conditions, and continue its unjust and unlawful attacks and occupations against Gaza and the West Bank. We once again emphasize that an urgent and permanent ceasefire must be achieved in Gaza as soon as possible for the establishment of stability, peace, and a secure environment in the region, and we invite the international community to take legal and conscientious responsibility.”

Emphasizing the domestic and national defense industry, Rear Admiral Aktürk stated, “Activities to increase the effectiveness and deterrence of our Turkish Armed Forces are also continuing. In this context, the inspection and acceptance activities for various quantities of T-70 general-purpose helicopters and unmanned ground vehicles (Barkan-3 UGV) by our Land Forces Command have been completed.”

News Source: 12punto