By Utku Simsek and Yasin Gungor
ANKARA/ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye's Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that 95 terrorists were "neutralized" in military operations over the past week in northern Iraq and Syria, bringing the total number of terrorists neutralized since January 1 to 1,963.
The ministry's weekly briefing detailed airstrikes conducted on Sept. 2 and 9, targeting 41 sites, including caves, bunkers, and warehouses in northern Iraq believed to shelter high-ranking terrorists. According to the ministry, 27 terrorists were neutralized in these strikes.
Turkish officials use the term "neutralize" to refer to terrorists who have surrendered, been killed, or captured. The PKK, recognized as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the US, and the EU, has been responsible for over 40,000 deaths in its decades-long insurgency against Türkiye.
In addition to military updates, the ministry condemned a recent Israeli airstrike in Gaza's Khan Younis, referring to the targeted area as a "so-called humanitarian zone."
At least 40 people were killed and dozens injured in the airstrike early Tuesday on a tent camp in the al-Mawasi area near Khan Younis, which Israel designated as a "humanitarian safe zone" for displaced civilians in Gaza.
Labeling the attack as a "war crime," the ministry called for an immediate cease-fire and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, citing the deaths of over 41,100 individuals, mostly women and children, and the wounding of more than 95,100.
The ministry also highlighted the signing of a Trilateral Memorandum of Understanding with Azerbaijan and Georgia, focusing on defense cooperation, joint efforts against terrorism, and military training. The next Defense Ministers' meeting under the agreement is scheduled for 2025 in Türkiye.