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Turkey determined to pursue rights in Eastern Mediterranean

Turkey's National Security Council urged international actors to fulfill its responsibilities in clearing out terror groups beyond the Turkish southern border.

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Turkey's National Security Council urged international actors to fulfill duties in clearing terrorists from the country's southern neighbours after a meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 28, 2021.

Turkey will continue to decisively protect its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean and Cyprus, the country's National Security Council has declared.

Stressing that these rights arise from international law, the council said in a statement that Turkey condemned rising terror attacks in Africa, including Somalia, as well as various other regions.

Ankara will continue fulfilling its responsibilities for peace, the statement said, released after a meeting chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It added that Turkey has always sided with diplomacy and dialogue on every platform for the resolution of disputes related to the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus.

Fight against terrorism

Assessing steps taken to eliminate terror groups beyond its southern border, the council urged international actors to fulfill responsibilities in clearing them out, the statement added.

The council was also briefed on ongoing anti-terror operations at home and abroad, especially against the YPG/PKK, Daesh and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

Turkey was one of the first countries to declare Daesh a terror group in 2013.

The country has since been attacked by the group's terrorists multiple times. The terror group has carried out at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks, killing 315 people and injuring hundreds more.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.

 In its more than 30-year terror campaign, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which killed 251 people and nearly injured 2,200.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.