Anti-PKK operations intensify as more curfews imposed


While counterterror operations continue at full steam in eastern and southeastern provinces, curfews were imposed in 13 neighborhoods in three districts in southeastern Diyarbakır province, going into effect on Friday morning at 5:00 a.m. According to a statement released by the Diyarbakır Governorate, curfews were imposed in the districts of Lice, Hani and Kocaköy. The statement stressed that the curfews were imposed as part of counterterror operations targeting separatist terrorists. "Operations will be carried out to destroy warehouses, shelters and equipment used by separatist terrorist group members," the statement read.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) recently stepped up counterterror operations in the region. Hundreds of PKK terrorists were killed in the Şemdinli and Çukurca districts of Hakkari province, and 186 PKK terrorists have been killed in military operations in southeastern Çukurca districts, military sources said on Thursday. According to the sources, this week the military killed four PKK terrorists in Çukurca's Seni region on Sept. 6, 14 terrorists on Sept. 7 and 11 terrorists on Sept.8, bringing the total to 29.

Security sources also said that the PKK has a camp located in rural Çukurca in the Kazan Valley, which is believed to be used by 400 terrorists for training and other logistical purposes. On the Iraqi side in the Hakurk and Avasin areas, the PKK has been known to have large-scale training camps. The Turkish Air Forces have been targeting routes from the Kazan Valley to Iraq's Hakurk, Avasin and Metine camps.

Operations in Kazan Valley have not been conducted in nearly four years since a terrorist group attacked a military post in Hakkari's Dağlıca district, killing 10 terrorists. Since then, operations have mainly targeted the Dağlıca area. During recent operations launched last week, 10 soldiers were killed by the PKK. Meanwhile, gendarmerie forces General Yaşar Güler gave details of counter-terror operations during Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım's meeting with governors on Thursday. Güler confirmed that all PKK terrorists had been cleared from Çukurca in the southeastern province of Hakkari when answering questions. He highlighted that Turkish soldiers are fighting for their lives in the fight against terror. "The rural area of Çukurca was cleared of PKK terrorists; they were all eradicated in Kalatepe," Güler said, adding that there are 12 more locations to be cleared of the PKK.