Abdullah Gul: We will fight back without compromise

In a live television speech, Turkish President Abdullah Gul expressed the Turkey’s hard position regarding the latest terrorist attacks.

Gul said Turkey would resolutely fight against terrorism to very end. “The whole world should know this: Turkey will struggle against this terror in a decisive way until the end. We will fight back without compromise. Turkey will do everything in its power to finish this”.

Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who postponed his visit to Kazakhstan, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu also postponed his visit to Serbia. Deputy Prime Minister and spokesman for the government Bulent Arinc broke his visit to Macedonia and returned to Turkey. Erdogan held an emergency meeting attended by ministers of defense, internal affairs, justice, first deputy chief of General Staff, commander of gendarme forces, head of intelligence service and other officials.

Turkish security forces began operations against PKK terrorists in several directions. Reuters said Turkish soldiers pursuing the PKK terrorists entered northern Iraq.

PKK terrorists killed five Turkish soldiers and three civilians, including a child in Bitlis province in south-east of Turkey on October 18. The terrorists crossed Turkey’s borders from northern Iraq into the Turkish province of Hakkari and killed 24 soldiers of Turkish security forces and wounded 18 last night.


/APA/