Turkey's President Abdullah Gul Saturday cancelled a planned visit to France after the recent terrorist attack staged by the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK)on Turkish soldiers in southeastern province of Hakkari.
A press release issued by the Presidency Press Center said Gul cancelled his programme in France where he would deliver a speech at the opening of "World Policy Conference" which is being hosted by French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) on Oct. 6 in Evian city of France.
Gul also said that cross border operations of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) particularly in the past one year weakened and demoralized PKK terrorist organization.
Gul noted "apparently, terrorist organization attacked Aktutun Gendarmerie border outpost in Semdinli town of southeastern province of Hakkari to show that it is still standing erect. I would like to reaffirm that we will continue to fight against terrorism whatever the cost will be."
Meanwhile, Gen. Metin Gurak, Chairman of General Staff Communication Department, said on the same day at a press conference at the headquarters of the Turkish General Staff that the 15 soldiers lost their lives when the terrorist PKK organization attacked Aktutun Gendarmerie Border Unit in Semdinli town in the southeastern province of Hakkarion Friday afternoon from north Iraq.
Twenty-three PKK militants were also killed in the clashes between the PKK and the security forces, he said, adding that efforts were underway to find two missing privates.
Turkey has conducted frequent air raids on suspected positions of the PKK in northern Iraq. In February, it also launched an eight-day ground incursion into Iraq.
The PKK, listed by the United States and Turkey as a terrorist group, took up arms in 1984 with the aim of creating an ethnic homeland in southeast Turkey. Some 40,000 people have been killed in the over-two-decade conflict.
Source:Xinhua
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