The Defense Ministry announced on Sunday that seven terrorists were eliminated in operations against the PKK in Syria and Iraq.
The ministry said in a social media post that three terrorists from the U.S.-backed group were eliminated in areas of Operation Euphrates Shield and Peace Spring in Syria’s north. Another four terrorists were eliminated in the Operation Claw-Lock area in Iraq.
Türkiye in 2022 launched Operation Claw-Lock to target the PKK's hideouts in northern Iraq's Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions.
The PKK is known for using northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, as a hideout to plot terrorist attacks and for launching attacks both on nearby Türkiye and locals in northern Syria.
Since 2016, Ankara has also launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.
Speaking at the news briefing of the Defense Ministry last Thursday, the ministry’s press adviser Brig. Adm. Zeki Aktürk said Turkish forces eliminated 89 terrorists within the past two weeks in Iraq and Syria and the total number of terrorists eliminated since Jan. 1 has reached 1,270. Aktürk said five terrorists also turned themselves in on the Turkish-Iraqi border.
He stated that Türkiye was enhancing its capability against the terrorist group and that its efforts expanded with Operation Claw-Lock as well as through other “unprecedented” operations. He also pointed out that the military was “fully closing the security loop in Iraq’s north.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has recently signaled a “summer” operation against the group in Iraq. Turkish security forces occasionally carry out operations in neighboring Iraq but an all-out offensive has been rare in recent years.
Türkiye seeks assistance from Iraq for an efficient crackdown on the PKK. Defense Ministry sources said last week technical work was underway to set up a joint operations center with Iraq and discussions on the issue were proceeding well.
