ANKARA

Turkish security forces “neutralized” 43 PKK/YPG terrorists in both northern Iraq and northern Syria over a week, said the country’s National Defense Ministry on Thursday.

“A total of 843 terrorists have been neutralized, with 376 in Iraq and 469 in northern Syria, since January 2024,” said the ministry’s spokesman Brig. Adm. Zeki Akturk during a weekly press briefing.

Akturk also noted that 364 individuals, including nine members of terrorist organizations, were nabbed while attempting to cross the border illegally over the past week, while 2,264 others were prevented from crossing the border.

“The number of individuals apprehended while attempting to cross our borders illegally since Jan. 1, 2024, has risen to 3,133, and the number of individuals prevented from crossing the border has reached 50,860, ” he said.

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 over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.

Contribution to regional, global peace

Stating that a memorandum was signed between Türkiye and Russia in order to control the cease-fire and prevent violations in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Akturk said: "On Jan. 30, 2021, the activities of the Turkish-Russian Joint Center established in Agdam, Azerbaijan, were concluded with a ceremony held on April 26, following discussions between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan after the region stabilized due to Azerbaijan's anti-terrorism operation.

Stressing the urgent need for Israel to implement the UN Security Council’s latest cease-fire resolution on March 25, and the International Court of Justice’s provisional measures on Israel, Akturk said: “We underline the necessity of allowing humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people, who are deprived of their most basic rights, and once again draw attention to the injustice occurring in the region, underscoring the imperative need for a permanent ceasefire.”

During the press briefing, the security sources said that as a result of the dialogue between Türkiye and Iraq, the activities conducted by the Iraqi border guards in neighboring areas to Türkiye’s operation zones aim to prevent the activities of the PKK terrorist organization.

“These activities are being carried out in coordination with us. In the future, efforts between Iraq and our country will continue to be coordinated in order to prevent the activities of the PKK, ensure border security, and protect the lives of civilian Iraqi people in the region,” said the sources on Iraqi border units have establishing base areas near Türkiye’s operation zones.

On Egyptian Chief of Staff Osama Askar’s visit to the capital Ankara, the security sources said that the visit signals a “new era, both in terms of enhancing military relations and cooperation in the defense industry.”

The sources added the Turkish part expects ties between the two nations further develop mutually in the upcoming period.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul