Problem

If you try to truncate a table on a remote database, you will get the following error:

ORA-02021: DDL operations are not allowed on a
remote database.

You have a database link to the remote database so you can see objects there and execute them (e.g. procedures, functions, packages, triggers, etc). The solution is to create the following procedure on the remote database, then execute it from the local one.

CREATE OR REPLACE PROCEDURE
Truncate_Remote_Table(p_table_name VARCHAR2) AS

/*
Procedure Name: Truncate_Remote_Table
Purpose: To truncate a table on a local database
from a remote database.This procedure is
executed remotely via a dblink and passed
in the table name that exists on the local
database.
Thanks to: Giovanni Jaramillo
*/ v_sql_error_code PLS_INTEGER;
v_sql_error_message VARCHAR2(512);

BEGIN
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE 'TRUNCATE TABLE ' || p_table_name;
EXCEPTION
WHEN OTHERS THEN
v_sql_error_code := SQLCODE;
v_sql_error_message := SQLERRM(v_sql_error_code);
DBMS_OUTPUT.ENABLE(5000);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('OTHER ERROR');
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE(v_sql_error_message);
END Truncate_Remote_Table;

To execute the procedure, use the following from the local database:

BEGIN
Truncate_Remote_Table@db_link(‘remote_table_name’);
END;