Baku, TurkicWorld:

Türkiye's anti-terrorism operations in the region would not stop until the mountainous region of northern Iraq, which lies across the southern border of Türkiye, was completely secured, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday, TurkicWorld reports citing Hurriyet Daily News.

Following the Presidential Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Complex, Erdoğan made some statements about Türkiye's terror operations in Northern Iraq in retaliation to the PKK’s recent attacks.

Stating that they evaluated the current situation on the ground at the security meeting held with top Turkish officials on Saturday, Erdoğan said, "We have directed our security units to unconditionally destroy all terrorist elements they detect."

Over the last five days, 114 targets were hit as part of air operations in Syria and Iraq, with 78 terrorists "neutralized," he added.

"Türkiye clearly and unequivocally demonstrated its refusal to tolerate surgical attacks on its territory through successful cross-border operations," he said, and added that efforts to strengthen and fuel the PKK terrorist organization through the provision of shelters, weapons, ammunition, and training have gained momentum.

More than 620,000 Syrians, who were in Türkiye as temporary refugees, have returned to areas free of terrorism, Erdoğan stated.

He also said that Türkiye's military presence beyond its borders is vital for the security of the nation and the peace and well-being of its citizens and said, "There’s no going back from this."

"The main issue that needs to be emphasized now is not how cross-border operations will be narrowed down," he said.

"Instead, it is about how they will be expanded."

Erdogan's statements came in the wake of recent PKK attacks that claimed the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers, which were then followed by intense Turkish airstrikes on terrorist strongholds in northern Iraq and Syria.

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

Turkish officials have long stressed that they will not tolerate terrorist threats posed against their national security and have called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.