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New Defense Minister Akar makes first official visit to Hakkari military base on Iraq border
New Defense Minister Akar makes first official visit to Hakkari military base on Iraq border
Turkey’s newly appointed Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and top Turkish soldiers visited the Dağbaşı military base in the Çukurcu district of the southeastern province of Hakkari bordering Iraq on July 19. Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Yaşar Güler, Land Forces Commander Ümit Dündar, Air Forces Commander Hasan Küçükakyüz, and Naval Forces Commander Adnan Özbal accompanied Akar.
During his visit, Akar spoke with the parents, wives, and children of the soldiers on the base on the phone and told them their beloved ones were “making a big sacrifice” for the nation, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.
Akar, formerly the chief of general staff, was appointed as defense minister last week. Akar was replaced by Güler, who was the commander of the land forces.
“We wanted to celebrate our new posts with you here at Dağbaşı,” Akar told the soldiers at the base, adding that they were serving “very important duties” in terms of “clearing terrorists from the nation’s soils.”
“In the previous years, there were many terrorists in these areas. Thankfully, we have ousted them from our areas and top to bottom out of our borders. And we are on the pursuit. The fight against terrorism will continue with the same determination, be it night or day, rain or shine, or mountains,” Akar said, naming the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD), People’s Protection Units (YPG), and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as the groups they are fighting.
The Turkish government favors the “good neighbor” policy, but no concessions will be made when it comes to protecting Turkey’s rights and interests, Akar said. “Our aim is to make sure that every one of you completes military service with pride and honor, and then unite with your beloved ones. This is what all of us, your commanders, are trying to do,” Akar told the soldiers at the base.
Following Akar’s speech, everyone at the base ate a homemade cake the commanders brought along with them.
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