Türkiye walls itself off from the spread of terrorism: Erdogan

"By setting up a security corridor along its southern borders, Türkiye is successfully walling itself off from spreading terrorism and violence," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

At an election rally in Türkiye's Sirnak province ahead of local elections on March 31, Erdogan said: "We are completely preventing the spread of the fire around us to Türkiye by establishing a security corridor along our southern borders.”

He also stressed that Türkiye is erecting barriers between itself and terrorist groups seeking to involve it in conflict.

President Erdogan mentioned "distancing itself from both imperialists and their puppets," referring to the PKK/YPG terror group, and the countries Türkiye accuses of supporting those terrorist groups along its borders with Iraq and Syria.

“The separatist terrorist organisation is a tool imposed on our country to perpetuate the tyranny aimed at establishing single-party fascism in these lands,” he added.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.