By Sertac Bulur
ANKARA (AA) - At least 24 terrorists were “neutralized” during counter-terror operations held across Turkey over the past week, the Interior Ministry said in a statement Monday.
Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
The ministry said security forces carried out 1,821 counter-terrorism operations between May 7 and 14, adding that one terrorist was killed, 14 were captured, while nine others surrendered to authorities.
During the operations, 132 people were also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist group, and 22 others for their suspected links to the Daesh terrorist group.
The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and has been responsible for the death of nearly 40,000 people.
Another 967 people were arrested over alleged links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) and 2 others over links to leftist terrorist groups.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the July 2016 defeated coup, which martyred 250 people and injured nearly 2,200.
During the operations, the security forces also destroyed 7 shelters including caves and 10 hand-made explosives held in eastern Hakkari, Bitlis, Sirnak, Tunceli, Mardin and Kahramanmaras provinces, the statement added.