STORY: Türkiye dismantles "terrorist corridor" in N. Syria: Erdogan
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 10, 2025
DATELINE: Jan. 11, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:06
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
(courtesy of Ihlas News Agency)
1. various of the meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in southwest Aydin province
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
3. various of the meeting
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
5. various of the meeting

STORYLINE:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday his country has successfully dismantled a "terrorist corridor" being established in northern Syria from four key points.

At a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in southwestern Aydin province, Erdogan said the "terrorist corridor" was destroyed in cross-border operations.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"Through our cross-border operations, we have broken and dismantled the terrorist corridor that was being formed in northern Syria from four different points."

Erdogan highlighted that Türkiye has not only targeted threats abroad but also eradicated terrorist elements within its borders, constructing a protective barrier against attacks originating from the headquarters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Mount Qandil, northern Iraq.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, Turkish President
"The terrorists have only two choices: abandon terrorism by laying down their arms or face inevitable elimination."

Since 2016, Türkiye has carried out anti-terror operations along its border with northern Syria to target the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which it regards as the Syrian branch of the PKK. These operations include Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018, and Peace Spring in 2019 and 2020.

The Turkish president further noted that YPG fighters in Syria are now "cornered" and are seeking new sponsors for support.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in armed rebellion against the Turkish government for four decades.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)