8 terror suspects among 18 nabbed at Turkiye's borders

By Seda Sevencan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkish forces arrested 18 people who were trying to illegally enter or leave the country, including eight suspects of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), PKK/KCK and Daesh/ISIS terror groups, the National Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

The suspects were caught by border forces while “trying to cross illegally from our country to Greece and from Syria to our country,” the ministry said on Twitter.

Three of the 18 people apprehended were identified as members of FETO, a terror group that Ankara accuses of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.

Three others were found to be operatives of the PKK terror group, which has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants, during its over 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and EU.

Two more people caught by Turkish forces were identified as members of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization.

Turkiye was one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terror group.

The country has since been attacked by the organization multiple times, with 315 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed attacks.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.