ANKARA

Turkish forces “neutralized” 23 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

“There is no place for terrorists to escape, nowhere is safe for them,” the ministry said on X.

“The breath of our soldiers will continue to be on the back of terrorists!”

The term “neutralize” is used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the terrorists were killed, captured, or surrendered.

In northern Syria, Türkiye has carried out a series of successful anti-terror operations since 2016, including Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019), to prevent the establishment of a terror corridor and ensure the peaceful settlement of local residents.

In its 40-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 over 40,000 people, including women, children, infants, and the elderly. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the terrorist organization PKK/YPG has attempted to exploit regional instability to create a “terror corridor” along the border with Türkiye.​​​​​​​