Trabzon: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Trkiye has “literally defeated” the Daesh/ISIS terror group and thwarted attempts to relaunch it as a tool for regional agendas. Erdogan made these remarks during the AK Party’s 8th Ordinary Provincial Congress in Trabzon province, emphasizing the country’s success in counterterrorism efforts.
According to Anadolu Agency, Erdogan highlighted Trkiye’s significant achievements in its strategy to eliminate terrorism at its source. He noted the removal of the PKK terror group’s extension from the country’s borders, specifically referring to the YPG/PKK terror group, as a result of Ankara’s counterterrorism operations. Erdogan also claimed that Trkiye “neutralized” 40 so-called high-ranking terrorists in 2024.
Erdogan asserted that terrorists have no option but to lay down their arms, abandon terrorism, and dissolve their organizations. He warned that failure to do so would result in facing the “velvet-gloved iron fist” of Trkiye, which is currently experiencing its most powerful period in the last century. He declared that the era of relying on violence and terrorism, supported by imperialist agendas, has ended.
The President also commented on the new administration in Syria, noting its firm stance on maintaining the country’s territorial integrity and unitary structure. Erdogan stressed the historical unity among Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Persians, referring to them as the “ancient owners” of the region, who have shared a common past for centuries.
Erdogan expressed hope for a shared future, warning against falling for imperialist tactics that aim to divide and exploit the region’s resources. He emphasized the importance of unity in achieving a terror-free Trkiye, where conflict and instability are things of the past. He vowed not to allow new barriers to be erected between Trkiye and its neighboring communities with which it has coexisted for a millennium.