Turkey's military has executed its third cross-border aerial campaign into northern Iraq, marking a decisive response to a suicide bombing that rocked the capital, Ankara, just days ago.
During a high-level security meeting on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan issued a stern warning, declaring that all infrastructure and energy facilities associated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria and Iraq are now "legitimate targets" for Turkish military operations.
Fidan further disclosed that the two perpetrators behind the recent suicide attack in Ankara had originated from Syria. The Turkish Interior Ministry subsequently identified the assailants as active members of the PKK.
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has engaged in an armed insurgency against the Turkish government for over three decades. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the PKK operating in Syria.
The assault in front of the Turkish Interior Ministry's headquarters on Sunday resulted in injuries to two police officers. During the incident, one suicide bomber detonated his explosives, while the other was fatally shot by the police.
In swift retaliation, the Turkish Armed Forces conducted two significant aerial operations on Sunday and Tuesday, targeting and neutralizing 22 locations, which included caves, bunkers, shelters, and warehouses in northern Iraq, as reported by the Turkish Defense Ministry.
Turkey's military routinely conducts ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments in northern Iraq, particularly in the Qandil Mountains, a prominent stronghold of the PKK.
In the past, the Turkish army has initiated a series of military campaigns, including Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, Operation Olive Branch in 2018, Operation Peace Spring in 2019, and Operation Spring Shield in 2020, all within northern Syria, with the primary objective of establishing a YPG-free zone along its border with neighboring countries.
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