ANKARA, Oct. 8-- Turkish parliament on Tuesday extended a motion for the government's authority to launch cross-border military operations in Iraq and Syria for one more year. The motion had previously allowed the Turkish Armed Forces to carry out cross-border operations from Oct. 30, 2018, until Oct. 30, 2019. All political parties, except pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), at the parliament supported the motion. The motion stated that Turkey attaches great importance to the protection of Iraq's territorial integrity, national unity, and stability. "However, the existence of PKK and Daesh in Iraq poses a direct threat to regional peace, stability and the security of our country," it added, using the Arabic acronym of Islamic State (IS). It also said that Turkey has continued security activities in the east of Euphrates in line with its legitimate security interests. |