Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation over provocative social media posts made by some pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported Sunday.
According to the report, HDP Istanbul Deputy Hüda Kaya and Kocaeli Deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu are accused of making terrorist propaganda and insulting the Turkish nation, state and republic in line with Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code.
The lawmakers claimed that the Turkish military bombed the camp where the PKK was holding Turkish citizens hostage in the Gara region of northern Iraq.
PKK terrorists have executed 13 Turkish citizens in a cave in northern Iraq after abducting them and shooting most of them in the head, Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar said in a statement on Sunday.
The grim news came as Turkey is carrying out the Claw-Eagle 2 anti-terror operation in northern Iraq.
In retaliation, 48 terrorists were killed in the land operation, and two terrorists were captured alive, according to the ministry. Among the 48 terrorists killed, there were three high-level terrorists while three Turkish soldiers were martyred and three others were injured at the beginning of the land operation.
The PKK managed to establish a foothold in Iraq, particularly in the Sinjar region in mid-2014 on the pretext of protecting the local Yazidi community from Daesh terrorists. Since then, the PKK has reportedly established a new command base in Sinjar to carry out logistical activities.
Turkey has long been stressing that it will not tolerate threats posed to its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorists. Ankara previously noted that if the expected steps were not taken, it would not shy away from targeting the group.
Turkey launched Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle last June to ensure the safety of Turks and its national borders by eliminating terrorist threats. Operation Claw-Eagle 2 was launched last week.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.