“We made our preparations, and when necessary, we can take matters into our own hands”

 

Defence minister Hulusi Akar delivered a speech at an opening ceremony for the fall term of Istanbul’s National Defense University.

If there is stalling or a delay in the process to set up a safe zone in northern Syria, Turkey is ready to single-handedly take the reins, Turkey’s defense minister said on Wednesday. 

“We made our preparations. When necessary, we can take matters into our own hands,” Hulusi Akar said.

“We find it necessary to establish a safe zone, a peace corridor, free of heavy weapons and terrorists along the border some 30-40 kilometers deep into Syria, east of the Euphrates River,” said Akar. 

“In the region, we started to perform air and land patrols with the U.S. and are working to establish base areas,” he added. 

Akar also said that these patrols will continue as long as they are in line with Turkey’s goals and objectives. 

“As our president has stated, we will never allow the creation of a terrorist corridor in northern Syria, everybody should know that,” he added. 

“Our ultimate goal is to end the [terrorist] PKK/PYD/YPG presence in northern Syria, to establish a peace corridor and to ensure that our Syrian brothers and sisters in our country return home.” said Akar.