Daily Sabah (Turkey)

Security forces detain 35 PKK suspects in counterter­rorism raids

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TURKISH security forces on Friday detained 35 suspects due to their links to the PKK terrorist group in separate operations carried out in several provinces.

In the capital Ankara, 10 suspects were detained on charges of using fake social media accounts to spread the PKK’s propaganda. In another operation controlled from the western province İzmir, 16 suspects, including members of the PKK’s so-called women’s branch, were detained. The suspects were caught in various provinces, including western İzmir, Istanbul, southeaste­rn Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa and eastern Kars and Malatya. Local executives of the pro-PKK Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were also among the suspected PKK members nabbed in the operations. During the searches, police teams also found documents and material related to the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian branch, the YPG. In two other operations, security forces detained four suspects in southern Mersin province and five suspects in western Balıkesir province due to their links to the PKK.

Turkey has stepped up its fight against PKK terrorists with security forces carrying out counterter­rorism raids and operations to clear its country of terrorists and hold terrorist supporters accountabl­e.

Turkish security forces also regularly conduct counterter­rorism operations in the eastern and southeaste­rn provinces of Turkey where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence.

The forces have adopted “ending terrorism at its root” and “attack rather than defense” strategies for operations across the country. In its more than 40year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organizati­on by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsibl­e for the deaths of 40,000 people, including children and infants.

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