Türkiye hits 16 PKK targets in N. Iraq: minister - China.org.cn

A total of 16 targets have been destroyed by the Turkish armed forces in a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Türkiye's Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Thursday.

The operation destroyed caves, bunkers, shelters and command posts of the PKK in the Asos Mountain region of Iraq on Tuesday, the minister said at a press conference in the southeastern Turkish province of Sirnak.

The targets were hit by airstrikes of the Turkish Air Force, the local NTV broadcaster reported.

Türkiye respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty rights of all its neighbors, especially Iraq and Syria, Akar emphasized.

"Syrians are our brothers, Iraqis are our brothers. There is no problem with that. Our problem is terrorists. We are after terrorists. This struggle will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated," he said.

Türkiye regularly conducts cross-border operations on the PKK bases in northern Iraq.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years.

Iraq has protested against the Turkish operation in northern Iraq as a violation of its sovereignty.