Four PKK terrorists have surrendered to security forces in northern Iraq in the past week, Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk said Thursday, as Türkiye has entered a process to achieve peace and lead to the PKK’s dissolution.
In a weekly briefing, he said the surrenders followed proactive policies of the armed forces and continued search and border security operations.
Aktürk further said: "112 people, including a member of a terrorist organization, who were trying to cross our borders illegally, were caught. Since Jan. 1, the number of people caught trying to cross illegally has reached 2,447. With the 1,192 people prevented in the last week, the number of people prevented this year has reached 36,003."
He added that since Jan. 8, 124 kilometers of tunnels used by terrorists have been eliminated both in Syria’s Tal Rifaat and Manbij.
Terrorists from the PKK and other groups, such as its Syrian wing, the YPG, and Daesh, rely on a network of members and supporters in Türkiye. In response, Ankara has been conducting pinpoint operations and freezing assets to eliminate the terrorist groups at their roots.
The PKK’s leadership had been struggling to recruit both militants and higher ranks, according to reports.
In recent years, Türkiye has stepped up domestic operations and efforts across its borders against the terrorist group and convinced many members to abandon the PKK.
Protests by a group of families in front of the pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) headquarters in Diyarbakır demanding the return of their sons and daughters, who were recruited or kidnapped to fight for the terrorist group, have also helped increase the number of people surrendering.
