PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan who is visiting Turkmenistan announced that he had cancelled his planned trip to Mongolia upon hearing news of the terrorist attack on Turkish soldiers in southeastern province of Hakkari and would return to Turkey shortly to assess the situation.

Erdogan who addressed Turkish citizens living in Ashkabat said he was saddened to learn that 15 soldiers were killed and 20 others were wounded in an assault by PKK terrorists.

He said two soldiers were missing and 23 terrorists were killed during the attack which targeted the Aktutun Gendarmerie Border station noting that this station also had been the target of an attack by PKK terrorists in May, 2008.

Erdogan said as the political authority, they shared the same determinism displayed by the security forces. He said they would reassess counter-terrorist measures and continue the fight against terrorist organisation PKK with determinism.

Erdogan said he would shortly return to Turkey and the Counter-Terrorism Higher Board would convene to discuss measures to be taken.

AA