Turkish PM vows to 'wipe out' PKK after 16 soldiers killed
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 7 September 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkish PM vows to 'wipe out' PKK after 16 soldiers killed, 7 September 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/561d04159.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 07, 2015
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has vowed to "wipe out" Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants after 16 Turkish soldiers were killed by a rebel attack.
Davutoglu said in a televised address on September 7 that "these terrorists must be wiped out from the mountains.... The mountains of this country must not be handed over to terrorists."
The Turkish military said the same day that it had bombed 23 Kurdish rebel targets in mountains along the Iraqi border, where the PKK has several strongholds.
The strikes came after an overnight attack on a Turkish Army convoy in the Yuksekova district of the southeastern Hakkari Province left 16 soldiers dead and at least six wounded.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attackers used a land mine in targeting two vehicles.
Erdogan said later on September 6 that Turkey would step up its fight against the PKK.
He added that some 2,000 PKK militants had been killed since July.
Based on reporting by AP, Anadolu Agency, Reuters, AFP, and BBC
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
