'Movement of Daesh/ISIS leader should be investigated'

Daesh/ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's movement in Syria should be investigated, Turkey’s director of communications said on Monday.

"There should be a thorough investigation about the movement of the DAESH [Daesh/ISIS] leader within Syria and eventually to Idlib. Those responsible for helping, abetting, and tolerating such movements need to be investigated and brought to justice," Fahrettin Altun said on Twitter.

Referring to an operation that killed the Daesh/ISIS leader in Idlib on Sunday, Altun said this once again proved Turkey's legitimate security concerns and necessity of Turkish anti-terror operations along the country's border.

"Turkey has been the victim of big attacks and plots by Daesh [Daesh/ISIS] since its emergence and has fought extensively against this terror group," he said, adding that Turkey stands by its allies to fight against terrorism.

Altun stressed that Europe has serious responsibility on dealing with the problem of thousands of foreign terrorists going from Europe to Syria.

Reminding Turkey's previous warnings on the terrorist group YPG/PKK’s threats to release captured Daesh/ISIS terrorists from prisons -- which they did last week -- Altun said the international coalition should take necessary measures to prevent it.

Altun also called on the international community to unite for fighting against terrorism.

"We believe that cooperation against terror groups should not end with the killing of high profile leaders but should continue until all cells of the groups are eradicated and all members of the group are brought to justice," he said.

Defining the killing of Baghdadi as a "great success" for fighting against terrorism, he added that the fight against terrorism should continue without interruption.

Turkey recognized Daesh/ISIS as a terrorist organization in 2013.

Since then, Turkey has been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists numerous times, including 10 suicide bombings, seven bombings, and four armed attacks.

These attacks killed 315 people, including 11 police officers and two soldiers -- and injured 137 civilians, 62 police officers and seven soldiers.

In response to these attacks, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad.

In two cross-border military operations in Syria since 2016, Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch, Turkey neutralized 3,500 Daesh/ISIS terrorists and arrested 5,500.