General Hulusi Akar, Chief of Turkish General Staff, said on Monday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) became stronger after cleaning the putschists inside the military following the July 15 coup attempt.
“The Turkish Armed Forces get their power from the laws," Akar said during a speech marking the 19th September Veterans' Day in Ankara.
He added that Turkish military would be more powerful after cleaning all traitors indicating the members of the illegal Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) that staged the deadly coup attempt in July.
Thousands of pro-FETÖ coupist military personnel had been fired, purged from the military following the failed coup that martyred over 240 and injured nearly 2250 people.
During his speech, the top general also touched upon the Turkish military-backed operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria, which entered its 24th day, having shown the strength of “our military".
Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched on Aug. 24, aims to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the terror threat along Turkey's south border, using the FSA fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery and jets.
Since then, Turkey-backed FSA fighters took control from Daesh of all border towns and villages in the Azaz-Jarabulus stretch in northern Syria.
He said the operation has been conducted under the framework of Turkey's right of self-defense to protect Turkish citizens and the people in the area from the terror threat.
“The TSK and Turkish Republic do not have eyes on any other country's soil," Akar said, underlining that the military is working for Turkey's security.
He vowed that the fight against terrorism would continue both inside Turkey and its neighboring Syria and Iraq, until the last terrorist remains.
Akar noted that the Turkish military is in full harmony with gendarmerie forces, police, village guards and the citizens of the country.