Türkiye is Zionists’ primary target: Erdogan
President and leader of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during the AK Party’s 8th Ordinary Provincial Congress in Mersin, Türkiye on Jan. 18, 2025. (AA Photo)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Türkiye is the most targeted country by Zionists.
“The fact that the country they target the most is Türkiye and the Turkish nation is because we are the state and nation that raises our voice the loudest against this oppression,” Erdogan said at a provincial event for his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Mersin, a city in southern Türkiye.
“We have shouted the truth without fear or hesitation. For us, it is both a religious obligation and a national duty to aid the oppressed and fight against injustice with our hands, words, and hearts,” he added.
‘Zero tolerance’ for PKK/YPG terror group
Erdogan also reiterated Türkiye’s commitment to thwarting any threats to regional stability, vowing to “disarm or eliminate terrorist organizations” trying to execute new plans involving Syria.
“The era of those who have freely roamed this region for the past century with a divide-and-rule policy is over,” he said.
“We have zero tolerance for the YPG terrorist organization, which occupies one-third of Syria. We will soon take steps to resolve this issue once and for all,” Erdogan added. The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, which Türkiye considers a terrorist group.
Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s aspirations for “regional stability, security, peace, and prosperity.”
The PKK/YPG, he said, has taken advantage of the situation in post-Assad Syria to try to establish a “terrorist corridor” along the border with Türkiye.
In its 40-year campaign against Türkiye, the PKK—listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S., and the EU—has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
