By Gozde Bayar
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces over the last month neutralized a total of 184 YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, across Turkey’s southern border, said the country’s National Defense Ministry on Sunday.
“YPG/PKK terrorists who attempt to attack and infiltrate to disrupt the established peace and stability environment are neutralized by our heroic commandos. In this context, 184 terrorists have been neutralized in the last month,” the ministry said in a statement.
Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Underlining that they take great care not to harm any civilians in the region, it added that to date a total of 348 terrorists have also been neutralized in Turkey’s cross-border Claw operations in northern Iraq.
Turkey's operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle were launched in June to ensure the safety of the Turkish people and borders by neutralizing the threat of the PKK and other terrorist groups which often use northern Iraq to plan cross-border attacks.
Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and to enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Terrorist groups – especially the YPG/PKK – sometimes try to infiltrate and attack these areas to disturb the peace and stability established by Turkey.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.
-Domestic anti-terror operations
In the last month, as part of domestic counter-terror operations, 80 terrorists have been neutralized in 34 operations, including eight large operations and 26 mid-size ones, the statement added.
Since the defeated 2016 coup bid by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) terror group, "as part of the fight against FETO, 20,564 personnel have been dismissed," the ministry also said.
FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.