Türkiye’s sole aim is to ensure peace, tranquility, and stability throughout its region, starting with Syria, the Turkish president said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a meeting of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “We’re delighted whenever we see the free Syrian flag alongside our own crescent and star flag in (the Syrian cities of) Aleppo, Damascus, Hama, Homs, Daraa, and Manbij.”

“We will eliminate the terrorist organization (PKK) as it tries to build a wall of blood between us and our Kurdish sisters and brothers,” he added, referring to a terrorist group, present in both Syria and Iraq, whose decades-long campaign against Türkiye has killed some 40,000 people.

“We will achieve our goal of a terror-free Türkiye in the upcoming period by utilizing all tools at our state’s disposal,” he said.

In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants and the elderly. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

The terrorist PKK/YPG has sought to exploit the uncertainty since the Assad regime’s fall to step up efforts to establish a “terrorist corridor” along the border with Türkiye.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.