ANKARA
The Turkish military has released details of operations in which warplanes again hit Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets inside and outside Turkey on Sunday night.
Defense sources said the first warplane took off from Diyarbakir 8th Main Jet Base Command at 7.41 p.m. (1741 GMT) in the southeast of the country. The last plane returned at 11.33 p.m.
Turkish warplanes conducted nine sorties against PKK positions.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has confirmed that he spoke on the phone with president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, Massoud Barzani, early Saturday.
“I had the opportunity to communicate the objectives and framework of the operation, especially in northern Iraq,” Davutoglu said, adding that Barzani told him Turkey’s anti-PKK and Daesh operations were based on legitimate foundations.
Davutoglu also said on Saturday that an anti-terror operation in Turkey was not over.
“The operations will continue for as long as threats against Turkey continue,” Davutoglu said in a press conference in Ankara.
“Those who threaten [Turkey] will face the response,” he added.
Davutoglu’s comments after as Turkey launched air attacks against Daesh and the PKK last week. The PKK is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
On Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday, Turkish air force jets bombed PKK camps in northern Iraq for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
Separately, Turkish police have detained a total of 590 people, including at least 37 foreigners, suspected of having ties with terrorist groups across Turkey, said the prime minister.
Davutoglu said that 302 people had been detained on Friday and 288 others on Saturday.
The airstrikes and the nationwide anti-terror operation come after 32 people were killed in the southeastern Turkish province of Sanliurfa on Monday in a suicide attack being blamed on Daesh.
Following the attack, four Turkish police officers were killed in various attacks; the PKK has claimed responsibility for at least one of these.
Davutoglu warned that Turkey would punish every unlawful action that harms public order in the country, adding that parliament would likely gather on Wednesday following a Republican People’s Party request to discuss the latest operations against the PKK and Daesh.
