Minister of the Interior of Turkey Suleyman Soylu 23 November 2019 (Anadolu)

Turkish Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu criticized the US' attempts at creating a "terrorist state" on Turkey's borders, referring to an independent Kurdish state, and said that Ankara is taking the necessary measures to prevent this enterprise.

"After the events in Gezi [protests in Istanbul in 2013 that turned into violent clashes with the police], Turkey has been facing a number of developments that have led to the reduction of investments. The pandemic added to that. We have been facing the biggest wave of migrants and it may have different costs. The US wants to create a terrorist state near us. We are taking precautions," Soylu told CNN Turk.

The minister noted that Turkey has been fighting terrorism for 4 decades, but the risk of a "terrorist state" persists as the US continues to intervene in the region. Turkey has been engaged in a deadly conflict with the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) since 1984 and has recurrently condemned the US for arming Kurdish militias in northern Syria.

Last year, the White House issued a strong condemnation of the violence in Istanbul and expressed heartfelt sympathies to those who lost loved ones, Soylu stated that Ankara rejects the American's condolences.

Commenting on the US’ statement, Soylu said, as cited by the CNN Turk broadcaster, "We know where the attack was coordinated. We have received the message given to us and we know what that message is. We do not accept condolences from the US Embassy. We are not treacherous to anyone, but we no longer have any tolerance for these insidious acts."

Back in early April, Turkey announced that it had closed its airspace for all flights from Iraq's Suleymaniyah airport, in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, due to tensions with the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the region.

In March, two Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters were killed following a Turkish drone strike that targeted Sinjar, in northern Iraq.