Turkey launches airstrikes against PKK in response to deadly attack on aerospace facility

Turkey has launched airstrikes targeting nearly three dozen positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and Syria. The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the operation late Wednesday, reporting that 32 targets were destroyed and several militants were “neutralized.”

“The Turkish Armed Forces, arising from our noble nation, will continue the fight against terrorism with determination and resolve for the survival and security of our country and nation until not a single terrorist remains, as in the past,” the Ministry stated, as relayed by the state-run Anadolu news agency. The statement emphasized that precautions were taken to protect innocent civilians, historical and cultural assets, and the environment during the strikes.

The air operations came in the wake of an attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara earlier that day, where explosions and gunfire were reported. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed that the two assailants involved in the attack were killed, while authorities identified the victims as a quality control officer, a mechanical engineer, an employee, a security guard, and a taxi driver. Additionally, 22 people sustained injuries in the incident.

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Yerlikaya indicated that the PKK was likely responsible for the attack. Formed in the late 1970s, the PKK is a Marxist-Leninist organization that seeks an independent Kurdish state and has been in conflict with Turkey since 1984. The U.S. has designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

This latest military action follows a similar strike in October 2023, when Turkish forces targeted 20 PKK positions in northern Iraq after a suicide bombing at the Ministry of Interior in Ankara. Turkey remains resolute in its campaign against the PKK as tensions continue to rise amid ongoing violence in the region.