We target only those who target Turkey: PM Davutoglu

ANKARA 

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said the ongoing counter-terrorism operations are against those who target Turkey.

"We target those who target Turkey, not those who do not," Davutoglu said in a live interview with the private A Haber and ATV television channels on Monday.

His remarks came amid Turkish security forces’ nationwide "anti-terrorist operations" after alleged attacks by outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the EU and Turkey -- claimed lives of three police officers in Ceylanpinar district of southeastern Sanliurfa and in Diyarbakir province.

On Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday, Turkish fighter jets bombed PKK camps in northern Iraq and Daesh positions in Syria near border with Turkey. Jets also hit PKK targets outside Turkey on Sunday night.

"PKK has committed 281 terrorist acts since June 7 general elections, which corresponds to around six terror actions per day," he said.

Davutoglu said that some regarded the post-election period as an opportunity to spread terror and chaos "while Turkey was bracing for a new term with a well-presented parliament that has a strong legitimacy and conducting coalition talks".

He warned against the misconception that since Turkey was going through a transitional period, its security forces were incapable of taking effective measures.

The premier also highlighted the fact that Daesh had an ideological problem with Turkey since it was the only example in the wider Middle East where democracy and Islam co-existed in harmony with all its different ethnicities, sects and religious identities.

"When we look at the world of Islam, there are either totalitarian regimes or chaos, except for a few countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Turkey where people can enjoy democracy, pluralism and economic development together," he said.

He pointed out Turkey was the key guarantee of regional stability, "so its role as protector of stability poses a threat to Daesh when it tries to create chaos in the region".

"This success story is the antithesis of Daesh ideology, that's why it targets Turkey," he added.

He said that Turkey did not want to see Daesh near its borders. He added that the “moderate opposition” forces must take control of the region that was now under control of Daesh on the border with Turkey.

“The Syrian opposition forces, which have a moderate approach against other groups and are not extremists, must take control of the mentioned region on the border,” he said.

He added: “The most important issue for Turkey is to stop the influx of refugees and if it is possible to create an environment that promotes confidence among the refugees [in Turkey] to go back”.

Davutoglu also pointed out that this would not be possible if only Daesh was destroyed but also the Syrian regime’s persecution must also end.

He said that the U.S. had considered Turkey’s sensitivity on these issues in discussions that led to an agreement between two countries which saw Ankara allowing the U.S.-led international coalition aircraft to use Turkish airbases to strike Daesh.

He also pointed out that there were 50 to 60 foreign suspects out of the total 1,050 detained by security forces across 34 Turkish provinces since the nationwide operations began, adding that more than 10,000 foreigners had their entries banned into Turkey.

Turkey determined to protect national security: 

Turkey is determined to protect its national security and maintain public order in the aftermath of the recent deadly attacks targeting civilians and security forces, Davutoglu has said.

Davutoglu made the comments in a phone conversation with the European Council President, Donald Tusk, on Monday, according to Prime Ministry sources.

Davutoglu informed Tusk in detail about the ongoing national and cross-border anti-terrorism operations against Daesh, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the far-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), the sources said.

"As Turkey continues to take steps towards [the] solution [process], and democratization, it will also continue - in a determined manner and without compromise - to protect its national security and maintain public order," Davutoglu told Tusk, adding that "all measures necessary in this regard in the fight against terrorism will be taken, and the cross-border operation will continue as deemed necessary".

The premier also said that he welcomed the messages of support and condemnation sent by the European Union and member states following the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the Turkey's southeastern region, which prompted the anti-terrorist operations.

Tusk offered his condolences to the victims and families of the recent terrorist acts, the sources said, adding: "The EU fully supports Turkey's fight against terrorism," and the steps taken by Turkey in its fight against Daesh, PKK and other terrorist organizations was not only supported by the EU, but by all members of the international community.

Current action could have prevented Daesh

A Turkey-proposed safe zone in northern Syria could have saved thousands of lives and prevented terrorist groups like Daesh from gaining a foothold in the region, Ahmet Davutoglu further said.

Davutoglu's remarks came as Turkey launched airstrikes on Daesh in Syria in response to a series of recent attacks, including one that killed 32 victims in southern Sanliurfa province last week.

Turkey has also approved U.S. access to the strategic Incirlik Air Base to deploy manned and unmanned aerial vehicles as part of the fight against the terrorist group.

"If there is one person who is responsible for all these terrorist crimes and humanitarian tragedies in Syria," Davutoglu said, "it is [President Bashar] Assad's approach using chemical weapons, barrel bombs against civilians.

"Because of that power vacuum, terrorist organizations like ISIS was able to be active in Syrian territories," Davutoglu told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. ISIS is another term for Daesh.

To defeat Daesh, Davutoglu said there needed to be "an integrated strategy", and this should include "some other elements" to find a solution to the Syrian conflict.

"In order to eliminate threats, we have to fight against ISIS, yes, but we have to create a new situation in Syria so that there wouldn't be any base for any terrorist organization to reactivate this type of terrorist activities", Davutoglu told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. ISIS is another term for Daesh.

The conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011 when the Assad regime responded to anti-government protests with a violent crackdown, has left more than 230,000 people dead and nearly half of the country's population displaced, according to the U.N.

Davutoglu said Turkey –  "from the early stages of the Syrian crisis" –  had been suggesting the idea to establish a "safe area" along the Turkey-Syria border in which Syrian refugees currently in Turkey and in neighboring countries – along with those displaced within Syria and Iraq – could return.

The area could also serve as a safe zone "where terrorist groups cannot come in, and, in that area civilians could feel safe against regime attacks and against terrorist groups", he said. "Now it is time to have such an area against ISIS attacks especially".

The Turkey-proposed safe haven appears to have gained more traction with the latest developments.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Saturday that the elimination of Daesh would automatically lead to the formation of a “safe zone” in Syria.

On Sunday, the Washington Post wrote that Turkey and the U.S. had agreed on the outlines of a de facto “safe zone” along the Turkey-Syria border under the terms of a deal expected to increase the scope of the U.S.-led air war against Daesh in northern Syria.

Turkish officials also said Turkish air forces would also take part in coalition airstrikes against the terrorist group.

"But at the same time we have to have a strategy about the future of Syria", the Turkish premier said.

"There we need to support moderate opposition forces. Moderate opposition forces means all those forces who are tolerant to other Syrian citizens, who do not commit any terrorist crime and who do not collaborate with the Syrian regime, which is responsible for all these humanitarian tragedies in the last four, five years," he added.

When asked about Turkey's recent airstrikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, Davutoglu said "this fight is against PKK ... not against Kurds.

"In the last four days ... PKK killed several police, several soldiers and civilians, so, in a high level security meeting we instructed our security forces that there should be a synchronized fight against terror, and whoever is committing terrorist activity in Turkey, we must be active against them", he said.

Turkish jets bombed PKK camps in northern Iraq after a series of attacks targeted Turkish security forces in the country’s southeastern region. The attacks are believed to have been carried out by the outlawed organization.

Turkish security forces have detained 1,050 suspects across 34 Turkish provinces since the nationwide "anti-terrorist operations" in the country began, the Turkish Prime Minister’s Office of Public Diplomacy said in a statement Monday, adding that most suspects allegedly belonged to Daesh, PKK and DHKP-C.

Turkey also started a cross-border operation when Turkish jets bombed PKK camps in northern Iraq and launched attacks against Daesh in Syria last week.

The new wave of tension is feared to pose a severe blow to the so-called "solution process" referring to a Turkish government initiative launched in 2013 to end the decades-old conflict with the outlawed PKK in the country's eastern and southeastern regions.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the EU and Turkey.