
ANKARA, Oct. 8 -- Turkish parliament
on Tuesday extended a motion for the government's authority to launch
cross-border military operations in Iraq and Syria for one more year.
The
motion had previously allowed the Turkish Armed Forces to carry out
cross-border operations from Oct. 30, 2018, until Oct. 30, 2019. All political
parties, except pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), at the parliament
supported the motion.
The
motion stated that Turkey attaches great importance to the protection of Iraq's
territorial integrity, national unity, and stability. "However, the
existence of PKK and Daesh in Iraq poses a direct threat to regional peace,
stability and the security of our country," it added, using the Arabic
acronym of Islamic State (IS). It also said that Turkey has continued security
activities in the east of Euphrates in line with its legitimate security interests.
The
motion came ahead of Turkey's planned military operation in the east of the
Euphrates in northern Syria.
Turkey's
ultimate target in northern Syria was to end the existence of all terrorist
groups and to facilitate the return of Syrians to their own country by
providing a "peace corridor" within the territorial integrity of
Syria, the chair of parliament's National Defense Committee Ismet Yilmaz said
addressing the lawmakers.
In
2016, Turkey launched the Operation Euphrates Shield and in 2018 the Operation
Olive Branch in northwestern Syria against the Kurdish People's Protection
Units (YPG), which Ankara considers as the Syrian offshoot of the outlawed
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and the IS. Turkish Armed Forces frequently hit
northern Iraq, bases of the PKK.