ATHENS 

Greece has cleared a notorious camp near Athens used for decades as a haven for members of the PKK terrorist organization, police sources said Wednesday.

Security forces launched an operation to close down the Lavrion Camp and transfer its 53 inhabitants to other areas run by the country's Migration and Asylum Ministry, said a statement by Greek Police (EL.AS).

The statement underlined that while Lavrion had previously been a legal refugee camp, it has in recent years been under occupation.

"The evacuation of the building took place in a calm atmosphere and without any resistance, with the aim of ensuring better living conditions for the people as the specific building was unsuitable for accommodation," it added.

Türkiye has for years objected to the continued operation of the Lavrion Camp, which it said was used by the PKK and far-left terror groups as a training ground, pointing to testimonies by arrested PKK members.

In its more nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, the UK, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Turkiye has long decried European tolerance for the PKK, as a number of EU countries have allowed PKK propaganda and recruitment, ignoring the group's status as a terrorist organization.