Erdogan Says Turkey to Launch Military Operations on its Southern Borders

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard in Izmit, Turkey May 23, 2022. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard in Izmit, Turkey May 23, 2022. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
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Erdogan Says Turkey to Launch Military Operations on its Southern Borders

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard in Izmit, Turkey May 23, 2022. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a ceremony at the Golcuk Naval Shipyard in Izmit, Turkey May 23, 2022. (Presidential Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday Ankara would soon launch new military operations along its southern borders to create 30-km deep safe zones to combat terrorist threats from these regions.

"The main target of these operations will be areas which are centers of attacks to our country and safe zones," Erdogan said, without elaborating.

Erdogan said the operations would be launched as soon as military, intelligence and security forces have completed their preparations.

Separately, Erdogan said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis no longer existed for him after he visited the United States, and accused Mitsotakis of trying to block sales of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.

"We had agreed to not include third countries in our dispute with him. Despite this, last week, he had a visit to the US and talked at the Congress and warned them not to give F-16s to us," Erdogan said at a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting.

"He longer exists for me. I will never agree to meet with him. We will continue our way with honorable politicians."



Türkiye Detains Hundreds after Anti-Syrian Riots

Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
TT

Türkiye Detains Hundreds after Anti-Syrian Riots

Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage
Shops are seen on fire in Kayseri in central Türkiye. Photo take from X from video footage

Turkish authorities said Tuesday they had detained over 470 people after anti-Syrian riots in several cities sparked by accusations that a Syrian man had harassed a child.

Tensions escalated from Sunday following violence in a central Anatolian city after a mob went on the rampage, damaging businesses and properties belonging to the Syrians.

"474 people were detained after the provocative actions" carried out against Syrians in Türkiye, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

A group of men targeted Syrian businesses and properties in Kayseri on Sunday, with videos on social media showing a grocery store being set on fire.

In one of the videos a Turkish man was heard shouting: "We don't want any more Syrians! We don't want any more foreigners."

A court in Kayseri ordered the Syrian man's arrest late on Monday, Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said, adding: "The child and her family are under our state's protection".

Officials said the child was a Syrian girl, who was related to the man accused of harassing her.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday blamed the opposition for stoking tensions and condemned the anti-Syrian violence as "unacceptable".

The unrest spread to several other cities late on Monday including Istanbul and authorities have often called for calm.

"Let's not get provoked, let's act moderately," Yerlikaya said in an appeal to Turkish citizens.

"Those who hatch these conspiracies against our state and nation will receive the response they deserve," he said.

Turkish police boosted security around the Syrian consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, deploying an armored truck and patrolling the vicinity, according to an AFP journalist.