By Utku Simsek
IZMIR, Türkiye (AA) - Turkish security forces “neutralized” a total of 44 PKK/YPG terrorists in northern Iraq and northern Syria over the past week, said the country’s National Defense Ministry on Wednesday.
“As of today, the number of terrorists neutralized since Jan. 1 has reached 1,092,” Brig. Adm. Zeki Akturk, the ministry’s spokesman, said during a weekly news conference in Türkiye’s Aegean coastal city Izmir.
He also said that 316 individuals, including seven members of terrorist organizations, were nabbed while attempting to cross the border illegally over the past week, while 1,442 others were prevented from crossing the border.
“The number of individuals apprehended while attempting to cross our borders illegally since Jan. 1, 2024, has risen to 4,661 and the number of individuals prevented from crossing the border has reached 56,949,” he said.
Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK– listed as a terrorist organization 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.
- ICJ’s decision on Rafah
Mentioning Spain, Ireland and Norway's decisions to recognize the State of Palestine, Akturk said: “We once again emphasize our satisfaction with the International Court of Justice's provisional measures to cease Israel's attacks on Rafah and immediately open the Rafah border crossing to humanitarian aid.”
“We expect Israel to promptly comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice, and we also expect the international community to demonstrate a more active stance on this matter,” he added.
Noting that Israel continues its attacks on Rafah and kills displaced Palestinians in tent camps, Akturk further said that there can be no legitimate reason for killing children and unborn babies, urging Israel to stop its “mass killings.”
“While the decisions to halt Israel's attacks so far have been satisfactory, they are not sufficient. Decisions must be made and implemented for a lasting solution in the region to end the suffering and oppression of Palestinians,” he added.
*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul