Türkiye 'neutralizes' 60 terrorists over past week

ANKARA

Türkiye “neutralized’’ 60 terrorists over the last week, including those hiding across the border in northern Iraq and Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

A total of 458 terrorists have been “neutralized’’ in operations against all terrorist organizations, particularly the PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG, Daesh/ISIS, and FETO, with 184 in northern Iraq and 274 in northern Syria since Jan. 1, 2024, ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk told the media at a briefing in the capital Ankara.

He said 824 terrorists have been “neutralized’’ in Operation Claw-Lock so far, that was launched in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

Ankara's “anti-terror operations in the region will continue with determination,” he added.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize’’ to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization.

FETO and its US-based leader Fethullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, in which 252 people were killed and 2,734 wounded in Türkiye.

- 27,631 attempts to illegally cross border prevented

Akturk also state that the security forces apprehended 201 people, including five terrorists, who attempted to illegally cross the borders into Türkiye over the past week.

He added, that another 3,094 people have been prevented from crossing the borders in the last seven days.

“Thus, the number of people apprehended while attempting to illegally cross our borders has risen to 1,347 from Jan. 1 until today. The number of people who have been prevented from crossing the border (this year) is also 27,631,” the ministry spokesman said.

Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.

The country, which already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, is taking new measures at its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul