Turkey: 22 terrorists neutralized over last week

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - A total of 22 terrorists were “neutralized” as part of counter-terror operations across Turkey over the past week, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

In a statement, the ministry said security forces had carried out 1,495 counter-terror operations from April 30-May 7.

The ministry specified that one of the terrorists was killed, 16 were captured, and five surrendered to authorities.

During the operations, 150 people were arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the PKK terrorist group and 94 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 -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.

Also, another 587 people were arrested for suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), and 26 others for 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.

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.