Kurdish–Turkish conflict

The Turkish president on Feb. 20 said that Ankara is keen to "strengthen" cooperation with Washington following the inauguration of Joe Biden as the new U.S. president.

Turkey's defense chief on Feb. 18 highlighted at a NATO meeting of defense ministers the importance of unity and solidarity among allies in the fight against terrorism.

At the virtual meeting, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar cautioned that license restrictions, sanctioning attempts, and threats against Turkey would weaken the alliance.

The head of the European Union delegation to Turkey on Feb. 17 praised the country's efforts in the fight against climate change. 

Turkey's defense minister and his British counterpart spoke over the phone on Feb. 17 and discussed cooperation in the defense industry.

In a statement, the National Defense Ministry said Hulusi Akar and Ben Wallace exchanged views on bilateral and regional defense and security relations, in addition to cooperation in the defense industry.

NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Feb. 17 condemned the recent killing of 13 Turkish nationals by PKK terrorists in northern Iraq.

"I would like to express my condolences to Turkey for the killing of Turkish citizens in Northern Iraq," Stoltenberg said at a news conference following the virtual meeting of NATO defense ministers.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Feb. 17 vowed to continue Turkey's military offensive against terrorism following the illegal PKK group's killing of 13 Turkish citizens in northern Iraq's Gara region.

İYİ (Good) Party leader Merak Akşener on Feb. 17 criticized the government for not declaring national mourning over illegal PKK's killing of 13 Turkish citizens in northern Iraq, while asking the reason for not being able to successfully rescue the abducted security personnel.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Feb. 16 separately paid visits to the Republican People's Party (CHP) and İYİ (Good) Party to inform them about the illegal PKK group's killing of 13 Turks in the Gara region of northern Iraq and Operation Claw-Eagle 2.

The ministers then briefed members of parliament on the details of the operation.

Turkey will keep its presence in the areas that it cleared of the terrorists out of its borders as long as it's necessary, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, noting that northern Iraq's Gara province has now been made secure as a result of a four-day military operation.

Security forces in Turkey arrested 114 people across the country on Feb. 15 over their alleged links to the PKK terror group.

The arrests come in the wake of the PKK execution in northern Iraq of 13 Turkish citizens held captive for six years, an incident that shocked the nation.