Turkey holds 13 suspects, illegally trying cross borders

By Muhammed Boztepe

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish border security forces held a total of 13 people, who were illegally trying to pass through borders from Turkey to Greece and from Syria to Turkey, the Turkish National Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.

"Seven of the held individuals were identified as members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), one as a member of the PKK and one as a member of the Daesh/ISIS terrorist organization," said the statement.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.​​​​​​​

Since 2016, Turkey has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border 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).

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.

Ankara 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.

In 2013, Turkey became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist group.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In response, Turkey launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.