PKK on brink of collapse, defense minister says

The PKK terrorist organization has come to the brink of collapse thanks to the Turkish army's continued military operations, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on April 19, while vowing that the anti-terror fight will endure determinately.

"The collapse of the terrorist organizations PKK/PYD and YPG, which are no different from each other, is accelerating as a result of our determined struggle, with their ringleaders now openly expressing their organization's disintegration," Akar said, speaking at a conference in the northwestern province of Bursa.

Akar said that they observed this "disintegration" in the walkie-talkie conversations of PKK members during the recent Operation Claw Lock launched in northern Iraq.

Risks, threats and dangers increase at the global and regional level and evolve into crisis and even war, the minister stressed, adding that the security environment is being reshaped, while the balance of power, actors and roles are constantly changing.

"Turkey, which has become a subject in international relations and whose sphere of influence and interest is expanding day by day, closely follows all these developments," he said.

Turkey is preparing itself for the conditions of this new era with its deep-rooted history, dynamic population and strong army, Akar said.

"The duties and responsibilities of the Turkish Armed Forces, which carry out the most comprehensive and most intense operations and exercises in the history of our republic, naturally increase in this crisis environment," he added.