Türkiye has "neutralised" a total of 1,640 PKK/YPG terrorists since the beginning of this year, including those hiding out across the border in Iraq and northern Syria, the National Defence Ministry has said.
"252 terrorists were neutralised last week," a National Defence Ministry official told reporters at a briefing on Thursday in the capital Ankara.
Turning to Türkiye's recent air strikes both in northern Iraq and Syria, the official said a total of 194 targets, including caves, shelters, facilities and warehouses used by terrorists were destroyed.
"With the operations in question, the terrorist organisation was dealt a heavy blow, and according to preliminary findings, 229 terrorists were neutralised," he added.
Türkiye has recently been carrying out air strikes in northern Syria and Iraq to eliminate terrorist attacks on the Turkish people and security forces by “neutralising” PKK/YPG and other terrorist elements to ensure border security based on its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The air strikes followed a foiled attack in Türkiye's capital Ankara. On October 1, a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the Interior Ministry building, while another terrorist was killed by security forces at the entrance gate.
Two police officers suffered minor injuries in the attack. The Turkish Interior Ministry confirmed the attackers' ties to the PKK terrorist group.
Following the October 1 incident, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said facilities belonging to the terror group PKK/YPG in Iraq and Syria are "legitimate targets" of the Turkish Armed Forces, and warned third parties – without naming them – to stay away from PKK/YPG facilities.
The US has called last week’s downing of a Turkish drone in Syria’s Al Hasakah a “regrettable incident,” but has not explained why US troops were near YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria after Turkish officials warned third parties to steer clear.
"It is pure speculation that the plane took off from Incirlik, such a situation is out of the question," the sources said.
Upon a question about where the jet took off from, the sources said: "It took off from Jordan."
'No targets other than terrorists'
The official stressed that the Turkish Armed Forces have no targets other than terrorists.
"All our operations against the terrorist threat against our country are carried out in accordance with international law, respecting the borders and territorial integrity of all our neighbors, within the scope of the right of self-defense, and targeting only terrorist elements in the region," he said.
In Syria, the official said, all necessary measures are being taken to maintain security and stability in the areas of Türkiye's cross-border anti-terror operations, and terrorist attacks are responded to in kind.
Since January, 388 harassment incidents and attacks have been carried out by the YPG/PKK terrorist group in areas of Türkiye's counterterrorism operations, and 1,246 terrorists have been "neutralised" with the immediate response of Turkish soldiers, he added.
On illegal crossings into Türkiye, the official said thanks to additional effective measures, 9,230 people, including 537 terrorists, who tried to illegally cross Türkiye's borders, have been caught since January 1. Additionally, 171,382 people were prevented before they crossed the border.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian branch.
