PKK terrorists cause $34 million damage to Turkey's schools

Turkey spent 100 million lira ($34.2 million) on repairs to schools hit in terrorist attacks last year, Education Minister Nabi Avci said Thursday.

In a presentation to a parliamentary budget committee in Ankara, Avcı said: "Almost 400 schools were hit by terrorist attacks last year. Due to these attacks, an extra 100 million Turkish liras -- taken from the ministry budget -- had to be spent for furnishing, repair works and urgent needs."

Southeast Turkey has been hard hit by PKK terrorist attacks since July, when the group renewed its armed campaign.

Avcı added that his department was educating 310,000 Syrian children aged five to 17. As well as being taught in refugee camps, around 73,000 Syrian children are being educated in Turkish schools -- a figure that is expected to reach 105,000 by the end of the school year.

The terrorist PKK organization has not abstained from attacking school children since it ended a two-and-a-half year long cease-fire in July 2015. Since then the terrorists have planted bombs inside in school yards and set schools on fire, putting dozens of school children at risk.

A handmade explosive was planted in the yard of a nursery school in the southeastern province of Şırnak in late December 2015. The terrorists reportedly aimed to use children as human shields while attacking security forces who arrived at the scene. A high school was also torched with Molotov cocktails on the same day in the Hakkari province.

The terrorists also set ablaze eight schools and a dormitory on the same day in the İdil district of Şırnak on Jan. 14. Students were present at the schools and the dormitory, and were evacuated without any reported wounded.

A secondary school and a high school were simultaneously set on fire with Molotov cocktails in the southeastern province of Van on Jan. 19. Even though no one was killed or wounded in the attacks, the school buildings were damaged.

In the Yeni Mahalle neighborhood of Şırnak province, terrorists launched an offensive on Dec. 25 against the Şırnak Cultural Center and Public library, while students and personnel were present inside. According to media reports, 17 students were present in the library at the time of the attack. Handmade explosives and Molotov cocktails were thrown into the building. People inside hurriedly left the area and were rushed to the hospital. Four children, who were studying in the library, were wounded due to the fire.

Heavy civilian casualties are a result of a shift in the PKK's strategy, which is to engage security forces in urban areas and cities. Digging ditches, erecting barricades and killing security personnel while shopping or asleep, are some of the activities of this newly adopted strategy, which has been implemented since the PKK ended the cease-fire on July 11, 2015.

The terrorist organization has also damaged historical sites, including mosques and cultural artifacts. The Fatihpaşa mosque in the city of Diyarbakır was attacked by members of the PKK, which also blocked firefighters' access to the blaze. The fire gutted most parts of the mosque. As flames engulfed the building, police and firefighters rushed to the scene, but terrorists opened fire on the first response crews, stopping them from extinguishing the fire.