Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2016 shows Turkish tanks moving near the Turkish-Syrian border. The Turkish army launched on Wednesday a cross-border operation to drive out Islamic State (IS) terrorist militants, the prime minister's office said in a statement. (Xinhua/Mert Macit)
ANKARA, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that a Turkish cross-border operation in northern Syria is a response to terror attacks carried out by Islamic State (IS) militants on southern Turkey in recent months, Anadolu Agency reported.
Earlier in the day, Turkish military, backed by international coalition airstrikes, launched an operation involving fighter jets and tanks to drive IS militants out of the Syrian border town of Jarabulus.
As many as 46 IS militants have been killed so far in the operation, Dogan News agency reported.
According to military sources, 81 targets were destroyed by artillery fire and tanks stationed on Turkish soil.
"All the attacks which happened in Gaziantep and Kilis brought this issue to this point," Erdogan said in a speech in Ankara.
Since January, rocket attacks on the Turkish province of Kilis from IS-held territory in Syria have killed at least 21 people. Other attacks targeted Gaziantep, the latest of which was Saturday's suicide bombing of a wedding that killed 54.
"You cannot divide our nation. You cannot lower our flag. You cannot smash up our homeland," Erdogan said. "You cannot bring this country to its knees."
"This nation exists and will always exist with its people, military, police and guards, whatever threats there are against Turkey," he added.
Separately, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the aim of the military operation in Syria is to clear IS from Turkey's southern border.
Speaking at a news conference with his Estonian counterpart Marina Kaljurand, Cavusoglu said the terror group targeted the country because Turkey "is one of the most decisive countries in the fight against IS."
The top diplomat said that the Turkish military's activities were continuing "without a hitch."
"We are working together with the coalition regarding air support," he added.
In response to the operation, Syria's Foreign Ministry condemned the entry of Turkish forces into northern Syria, saying any anti-terror efforts should be coordinated with the Syrian government.
It said the Turkish aim of entering Jarablus was not to fight IS terrorists, and that the move was another manifestation of terrorism, as Turkey is substituting one terror group with another.
The ministry was apparently referring to Turkey-backed Syrian rebels who have reportedly crossed the borders with Turkish forces.
