Erdogan vows continued fight against PKK terrorists

By Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday said Turkey's counter-terrorism operations against the terrorist PKK organization would continue.

"We are going into season. There is no such thing [stopping the operations]," Erdogan said in Justice and Development (AK) party’s parliamentary group meeting.

"The operation is continuing. We will not stop. We will push them. Nobody should feel offended," the Turkish president added.

His remarks came several days after seven soldiers and two village guards were martyred in fighting with PKK terrorists in the southeastern province of Hakkari.

Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that at least 46 PKK terrorists have been killed in military operations in eastern Turkey.

Erdogan reminded that commanders of Turkish army are reviewing the military troops present along the Turkey's southeastern borders.

He said PKK is a tool of foreign powers to disrupt peace in the region, while Daesh is a bloody terrorist organization irrelevant to Islam.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.

FETO supporters

Erdogan slammed those people who invested money in FETO-linked Bank Asya after December 2013 illegal wiretapping operation.

Erdogan said that they "purposely invested their money to bank".

"You sold your car, your apartment and invested your money there.

"It is too late [to apologize] now," said Erdogan for the people who backed FETO after December 2013.

Bank Asya is a participation bank affiliated with U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, who leads the FETO group. Bank Asya's banking license was cancelled on July 22, 2016 -- seven days after the defeated coup bid -- by Turkey’s Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency.

FETO is behind a December 2013 corruption investigation into senior Turkish government figures, including ministers, and has been accused of wiretapping conversations, official misconduct, forgery plus the illegal acquisition and storage of personal data.

The terrorist group and its leader Gulen also orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, that martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.

Erdogan said that the government would dismiss all FETO supporters from the state institutions.