A total of seven PKK terrorists separately turned themselves in to Turkish security forces in northern Iraq in the past week, Turkish security sources announced on Saturday.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Türkiye's Operation Claw-Lock to target the PKK terrorist group's hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border continues successfully.
Videos of the terrorists leaving the cave and the moment they surrendered to forces were also shared on the Turkish National Defense Ministry's social media account.
As the terrorists left the cave one by one by raising their hands, the footage also includes a Turkish soldier saying: "The Turkish soldier will never harm anyone who asks for mercy or surrenders."
As part of the operation, which started in mid-April, more than 400 terrorists were eliminated and over 500 caves, shelters and nearly 2,000 handmade explosives were destroyed, the security sources said.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks against Türkiye.
Türkiye has long been stressing that it will not tolerate terrorist threats against its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group. Ankara has previously said that it would not shy away from targeting terrorist threats if the expected steps were not taken.
In the last two years, the intensifying operations in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group's influence in these regions, Türkiye also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.
