2 more YPG/PKK terrorists surrender near Turkey-Syria-Iraq border

Two more YPG/PKK terrorists have surrendered to Turkish security forces, the National Defense Ministry said Monday.

“Two YPG/PKK terrorists who fled the shelters of the terrorist group in northern Iraq and Syria surrendered at our border posts in Silopi, Şırnak and Nusaybin, Mardin,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its official Twitter account.

The YPG/PKK terrorists groups' dissolution has accelerated as a result of successful counterterrorism operations carried out by Turkish security forces at home and abroad.

According to a Nov. 26 Interior Ministry statement, more than 235 terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces in 2019 alone.

Once the terrorists surrender, they are provided with many opportunities, including the right to education and the freedom to live without fear of oppression.

They are not mistreated, can contact their families freely and are provided with essential judicial assistance. The Turkish state offers a variety of services to ensure their social reintegration.

According to some former terrorists, the PKK ringleaders risk the lives of others to save their own and threaten those planning to surrender with torture.

Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey, where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence and base. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carries out cross-border operations in northern Iraq where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases that they use to carry out attacks on Turkey.

Turkish counterterrorism operations intensified after July 2018 and have become routine since the beginning of another extensive campaign Operation Claw, which was launched on May 27 to eliminate terrorist presence in northern Iraq.