Since January 1st, Türkiye has eliminated over 1,000 PKK/YPG terrorists, including those in Iraq and northern Syria across the border, as reported by the National Defense Ministry on Thursday.
In the past week alone, 67 terrorists have been neutralized, according to an official from the ministry, who spoke during a press briefing in the capital Ankara.
Total number of eliminated terrorists
The total number of terrorists “neutralized” so far this year reached 1,062, he added.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
In Syria, the official said, all necessary measures are taken to maintain security and stability in the areas of Türkiye’s cross-border anti-terror operations, and terrorist attacks are responded to in kind.
Since January, 91 harassment incidents and attacks have been carried out by the YPG/PKK terrorist group in areas of Türkiye’s counterterrorism operations, and 777 terrorists have been “neutralized” with the immediate intervention of Turkish soldiers, he added.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK’s Syrian branch.
369 terrorists were caught thanks to additional measures
On illegal crossings into Türkiye, the official said thanks to additional effective measures, 4,931 people, including 369 terrorists, who tried to illegally cross Türkiye’s borders, have been caught since Jan. 1. Around 138,000 people were prevented before they crossed the border.
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.
By Breaking News Turkey with AA