ANKARA 

Turkey’s president congratulated security forces late Monday for conducting an anti-terror operation in Hatay province in which they eliminated two members of the PKK terrorist organization.

“I congratulate our heroic security forces for their successful counter-terrorism operation in Hatay. I wish [it] to all my Hatay brothers and sisters. May my Lord protect our country from all kinds of attacks, disasters and treacherous aspirations,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter.

Hatay’da gerçekleştirdikleri başarılı terörle mücadele operasyonu nedeniyle kahraman güvenlik güçlerimizi tebrik ediyorum. Tüm Hataylı kardeşlerime geçmiş olsun temennilerimi iletiyorum. Rabbim ülkemizi her türlü saldırıdan, felaketten, hain emellerden korusun.

— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) October 26, 2020

“Turkey is no longer a country that can be designed, directed and occupied with such attacks. With God’s permission and our security forces’ efforts, we will continue our struggle against terrorism and its supporters within and beyond our borders,” he added

Ambulances and police squads were dispatched to Iskenderun district in Hatay and pursued two PKK terrorists. One of the terrorists detonated himself while the other was killed at the end of a chase.

Later in the day, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu issued a statement saying the two terrorists had been neutralized by security forces.

Following Soylu's announcement, Hatay Governor Rahmi Dogan held a press conference, detailing anti-terror operations against PKK terrorists in the region.

“As of today, the PKK terrorist organization has been destroyed in the Amanos region and there are no [members] of the PKK terrorist organization left," he said.

Mt. Amanos -- also called Mt. Nur -- is known to be used as a hideout by the YPG/PKK terror group.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s branch in Syria, just across Turkey's southern border.