Turkish President vows to eliminate terrorist threats

Ankara, Oct 30 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to continue eliminating terrorist threats at their source.

"Whether it is within our borders or beyond, no one can prevent us from eliminating any threat we detect against our country," Erdogan said on Tuesday at a ceremony for the delivery of the T625 Gokbey helicopter to the gendarmerie.

The handover ceremony was held at the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) in the Kahramankazan district of Ankara, where two assailants carried out a terror attack last week, leaving five people dead and 22 others wounded.

Turkish authorities have blamed the attack on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and further intensified both domestic and cross-border security operations against the group.

TUSAS is a major defence and aviation company in Turkey. It produces KAAN, the country's first national combat aircraft, among other defense equipment, Xinhua news agency reported.

At the ceremony, Erdogan reiterated that terrorism has no place in the future of Turkey and the region, saying attacks like the one against TUSAS can never break the country's determination to fight terrorism.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades.