Türkiye has destroyed nearly 121 kilometers (75 miles) of tunnels in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, as part of an ongoing military operation, the National Defense Ministry said Thursday.

At a briefing in the capital Ankara, spokesman Zeki Aktürk told reporters that efforts are ongoing to establish lasting peace, security, and stability in Türkiye’s operation zones in Syria, as well as to facilitate the safe return of Syrians to secure environments.

In this context, Aktürk said: “As part of the tunnel destruction operations that began on Jan. 8, 2025, nearly 66 kilometers of tunnels have been destroyed in the Tel Rifat area and 55 kilometers in the Manbij area.”

The tunnels are believed to have been used by terrorist groups in the region.

“Efforts to detect and destroy mines, improvised explosive devices and tunnels in the region continue without interruption,” he added.

Turkish forces have been deployed in northern Syrian border regions to prevent the formation of a terrorist corridor that would threaten both Türkiye’s security and the safety of locals.

Aktürk further said that 1,465 people have been caught trying to cross the border illegally since the start of the year, while 23,709 others were prevented from crossing.

OTHER ISSUES

On discussion of a de-confliction mechanism between Türkiye and Israel in Syria, ministry sources stressed that this does not constitute any normalization of relations.

“The non-conflict mechanism between Türkiye and Israel is not a form of normalization,” the sources said. “It is a communication and coordination structure aimed at preventing direct conflict between the two countries, ensuring military activities in Syria are conducted safely and in a controlled manner, and avoiding unwanted incidents.”

On Greece’s recent Marine Spatial Planning announcement concerning the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea, the ministry condemned the move, calling it illegal and contrary to international law.

It stressed that a fair and legal distribution of maritime zones in the region can only be achieved through mutual dialogue and goodwill, rejecting Greece’s actions, which overlook ongoing disputes.