The Ministry of National Defense (MSB) held its weekly press briefing. After the meeting, Ministry of National Defense officials answered questions.
Images of residential areas in northern Iraq
A defence ministry official responded to questions about images on social media showing Turkish soldiers setting up checkpoints in residential areas in some parts of northern Iraq.
“It is not possible for Turkish forces to enter civilian residential areas and set up checkpoints there. Checkpoints in residential areas and in areas close to our operational areas are set up by Iraqi local authorities and there is good coordination with the Iraqi side in this regard.”
The ministry official also gave an update on the status of the joint operations center to be established on the Iraqi side, saying, “technical studies are continuing.” The operations center will be located there. “Technical studies and negotiations to finalize the details are continuing positively,” he said.
The fight against FETO
In response to a question about the recent detention of some active-duty soldiers in the FETO operation, a ministry official said:
“Our fight against FETO will continue cautiously. This fight continues in the light of new information and documents. This is a continuous process, so the prosecutor’s office will take action after the intelligence department evaluates the origin of the information and documents. The Turkish military is one of the most sensitive institutions in the fight against FETO, since the institution that will suffer the most in this situation is the Turkish military. For this reason, our fight will continue as long as new information and documents are made public.”
The possibility of World War III and Turkish military preparations
In response to a question about Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s remarks that the possibility of World War III cannot be ruled out, a ministry official said:
“If you ask me whether there is a risk of an all-out war like World War I or World War II, of course there is. As the Ministry of Defense, we make defense and security assessments and create all plans that need to be updated based on new assessments. I can easily say that our country is one of the most prepared countries. TSK is already a dynamic army. An army with continuous operations in many regions. An army that has tested and approved its own plans and logistics. It also conducts peace support operations around the world. “No one, especially our country, wants a dark situation like World War III, but it should be noted that our army is ready for any scenario.”
