In operations against the PKK terrorist organization, Turkish security forces have seized over 500 kilograms of cannabis as well as over 200,000 cannabis roots, according to an official statement Thursday.

The provincial gendarmerie command in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır seized a total of 202,500 cannabis roots and 569 kilograms of marijuana in the Lice and Hani districts, said a statement by the Diyarbakır Governorate.

During the operation in Lice on Sept. 25, the gendarmerie command also neutralized three PKK terrorists.

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

The gendarmerie also seized a total of 20 kilograms of skunk, a genetically modified strain of marijuana. Though the statement did not mention any specific terrorist group, Turkish forces have long been conducting operations against the PKK in the region.

The PKK is a major presence in international drug trafficking.

In Europe, the PKK controls 80% of the drug trade and reaps some $1.5 billion a year, according to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.