Turkish FM vows not to allow "terrorist" presence on Syria-Turkey border

Ankara, July 27 (Xinhua-ANI): Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday that Turkey would not allow "terrorist" groups like the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) or al-Qaida to establish a presence in Syria near the Turkish border, local Kanal 24 television channel reported.

Davutoglu made the remarks in a live interview with the TV, but did not specify what steps Turkey would take to prevent activities by such groups along its southeastern border.

"We won't allow the terrorist organization to locate camps in northern Syria and become an element of threat against our country, " Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters Thursday prior to his departure for the inauguration of the London Olympics.

"Nobody should attempt to threat us. We won't be deceived by certain provocations. But, if there will be need for steps against the terrorist organization, we'll certainly take that step," Erdogan said in reply to a question if Turkey would issue a parliament motion authorizing the government to send troops abroad as a measure against the PKK threat.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, took up arms in 1984 in an attempt to create an ethnic homeland in southeastern Turkey. Since then over 40,000 people have been killed in conflicts involving the group. (Xinhua-ANI)