Turkish security forces have “neutralised” a total of 48 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq and northern Syria over the past week, said the country’s National Defence Ministry.
“As of today, the number of terrorists neutralised since January 1 has reached 1,048,” Brig. Adm. Zeki Akturk, the ministry’s spokesperson, said during a weekly news conference in the capital Ankara on Thursday.
Akturk stated that the Turkish Armed Forces have been continuing their fight against terrorism with an increasing impact.
He also said that 364 individuals, including 10 members of terrorist organisations, were nabbed while attempting to cross the border illegally over the past week, while 1,390 others were prevented from crossing the border.
“The number of individuals apprehended while attempting to cross our borders illegally since January 1, 2024, has risen to 4,345 and the number of individuals prevented from crossing the border has reached 55,507,” he said.
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation 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 PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
'Sovereign, independent Palestine'
Akturk also called on Israel to stop its attacks in Gaza and allow the entry of humanitarian aid “desperately needed by the Palestinian people”.
He urged the global community to make efforts to bring an end to the Israeli oppression “unfolding before the eyes of the world.”
“We welcome the decisions of some European countries to recognise the State of Palestine as a necessity of international law, justice, and conscience,” Akturk said.
“A sovereign, independent, and geographically contiguous Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem based on the 1967 borders is not only essential for peace but also a prerequisite for both regional and international stability,” he said.
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