"Ground Operations Might Start any Time"

Minister of the Interior İdris Naim Şahin declared that ground operations against camps of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the area of the Kurdish Regional Administration "could be carried out any time".

In his statement on a cross-border ground operation Şahin said, "Just as the air strikes, also ground operations can be carried out any time dependant on the talks with our neighbour [country]". The minister's statement came after his meeting with Maria Böhmer, German Minister or Migration, Refugees and Integration, and German members of parliament on Tuesday (13 September).Şahin said that soldiers and policemen were going to serve in the operation and indicated that 'the evaluation of a cross-border operation was still being continued'.

During a visit paid to the province of Hakkari together with Minster of Water Affairs and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu, Chief of Police Mehmet Kılıçlar and Hakkari Governor Muammer Türker, Şahin announced, "A ground operation can happen any time according to the situation. It can be today or even in one hour's time. We are not giving a date. You will notice at the time. Are we going to do the ground operation or not? This is not definite either. These decisions will be made according to the conditions at that moment". (AS/VK)