Turkey out of patience for attacks from N Syria: Erdoğan

The Turkish president on Oct. 11 said his country has run out of patience after the latest deadly attack on its police force in northern Syria and harassment targeting his country's territories.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's comments came at a news conference following a Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Complex in the capital Ankara.

Two Turkish special operation police officers were killed and two others wounded in the Operation Euphrates Shield zone of northern Syria when the YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group, struck an armed vehicle with guided missile.

Erdoğan said Ankara is determined to eliminate threats emanating from northern Syria, either itself or with the support of active local forces.

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU - has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

According to the Turkish president, 153 terror affiliates laid down their weapons and surrendered to security forces in 2021 alone, and more than a thousand young individuals were brought back in the past five years.

Turkey has been fighting terror groups such as the PKK, Daesh/ISIL and FETÖ, the president said.

Climate change

The Turkish leader also focused on the issue of climate change, saying his country is resolute in resolving the climate crisis, and Ankara would put the...