By Utku Simsek
ANKARA (AA) – Türkiye "neutralized" as many as 82 terrorists last week, including those hiding out across the border in Iraq and northern Syria, the National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
A total of 2,478 terrorists have been neutralized since Jan. 1, 2023, a ministry official told reporters in the capital Ankara.
Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.
PKK/YPG terrorists often hide out across Türkiye's border in northern Iraq and Syria, where they plot attacks on Turkish forces or the local populations.
Since Jan. 1, 2023, the terrorist group carried out 577 attacks in areas falling under Türkiye's counter-terrorism operations in Syria, and 1,661 terrorists have been "neutralized," said the official.
On illegal crossings into Türkiye, the official said thanks to effective security measures, 498 people trying to illegally cross Türkiye's borders have been rounded up since Jan. 1, 2024.
A total of 15,153 people were prevented from crossing the borders this year.
Türkiye has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
The country, which already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, is taking new measures at its borders to prevent a fresh influx of migrants.
- Biden's letter to key lawmakers about F-16 sale to Türkiye
In response to a question about US President Joe Biden's letter to the top lawmakers on the House and Senate foreign relations committees, urging Congress to proceed with a pending F-16 sale to Türkiye, sources from the ministry said: “Regarding the F-16 procurement, the letters of request for the procurement of 40 F-16 Block-70 and Viper modernization for 79 aircraft within the scope of the urgent operational needs of our Air Force Command were first submitted to the Office of Defense Cooperation on 30 Sept. 2021.”
“Currently, the US is expected to initiate the formal congressional approval process for the offer and acceptance letters for both projects.”
The sources said they consider this letter a "positive step."
“What needs to be done is to send a request to the Congress and start the official process through Congress,” said the sources, expecting a positive outcome of the process.
The Turkish parliament overwhelmingly ratified Sweden's NATO membership in a 287 to 55 vote on Tuesday. Hungary is now the only NATO member state that has not signed off on Sweden's entry into the alliance.
Following the Turkish parliament's approval, a National Security Council spokesperson told Anadolu that Biden continues to support the sale of F-16s and their modernization kits to Ankara, saying it "would help facilitate NATO interoperability and is in the US national interest."
Key lawmakers in Congress have tied the F-16 sale to Türkiye's approval of Sweden's NATO accession bid.
- Withdrawal of US from Syria
Regarding reports that the US will withdraw its troops from Syria, the sources from the ministry said: “We need to wait for official statements on this issue.”
“Without seeing the official statement and implementation, such news should be approached with caution.
“We closely follow all kinds of developments in our region in defense and security issues,” the ministry sources said.