Turkey admits to having 11 temporary military bases in IraqJune 21, 2018 - 17:48 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has 11 temporary military bases in northern Iraq, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said Thursday, June 21, according to Daily Sabah. Speaking in a live interview to private A Haber broadcaster, Yıldırım also said 400 square kilometers of the region has been cleared of 'terrorists'. "We are shelling Mt. Qandil through air operations at times. This time PKK terrorists are crossing into Iran when they are on the back foot," the prime minister said. He added Turkey has no problem with Iran over its Qandil operation. "We cleared the area in northwestern Syria's Afrin during Operation Olive Branch. We will do the same thing in Mt. Qandil area," the prime minister said. On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin region. On March 18, Day 58 of the operation, Turkish troops, and Free Syrian Army members liberated the town of Afrin. About a possible joint operation with Iran, Yıldırım said: "Iran expects to work with us all the time, including sharing intelligence, but it is naturally reluctant to launch a joint counter-terror operation within its borders." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |