Kurdistan

The Turkish army has launched a major offensive against PKK hideouts and targets in northern Iraq in a bid to destroy the terror organization's capacity to attack Turkey in the coming months, the Defense Ministry has announced, informing that many terrorists were neutralized and their structures were hit as a preliminary result of the military operation.

Turkish authorities have detained some 46 people, including former local officials from People's Democratic Party (HDP), who are suspected of having links to PKK terrorist group, in part of the Kobani investigation, local news agencies reported yesterday.

The detained are among 91 suspects sought by a chief prosecutor for allegedly "providing financial resources on behalf" of PKK.

Turkish Gendarmerie clash with Kurdish demonstrators during a protest against Islamic State (IS) militants near Sanliurfa, Turkey, 07 October 2014. Photo: EPA/SEDAT SUNA

A little over half were arrested and the others were still being sought, the Ankara Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said he met with senior Iraqi and Iraqi-Kurdish officials to discuss Turkey's ongoing fight against the PKK terrorist organization, which had been using the Iraqi territories since the late 1980s.

Turkish forces "neutralized" at least nine YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, across Turkey's border, authorities said yesterday.

According to the Defense Ministry, the terrorists attempted to attack the Operation Peace Spring zone, where Turkey carried out a cross-border operation in 2019.

The National Intelligence National Organization (MİT) has brought two PKK terrorists, who had been operating in northern Iraq, to Turkey.

The intelligence service had been closely monitoring the activities of the terrorist Emrah Adıgüzel and Pervin Arslan for some time, security sources said.

Turkey's National Security Council on Nov. 25. evaluated the country's goals and challenges on its economy.

Four more PKK terrorists surrendered to security forces in Turkey as a result of persuasion efforts, the Interior Ministry announced on Oct. 31.

In a statement, the ministry said the terrorists joined the PKK during 2013-2015 and were active in Iraq and Syria.

Peoples' Democratic Party supporters at a rally in Geneva, April 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

"Regardless of whether the presidential candidate is affiliated with the HDP or not, we believe that we need to discuss principles and methods rather than the names of potential candidates,"  the HDP declaration said.

The European Court for Human Rights, in an interim measure adopted on Wednesday, asked Serbia not to extradite S.O, a Turkish citizen of Kurdish origin, sentenced to life in Turkey for membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK, BIRN has learned.