The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the killing of 1,146 people, most of them from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in northern Iraq, Syria and inside Turkish territory since the beginning of this year.

The Public Relations and Media Advisor at the Turkish Ministry of Defense, Zaki Akturk, said in a media circular today, Thursday, that his country’s forces neutralized 1,146 terrorists during the current year, including 44 in the past seven days, inside the country and in northern Syria and Iraq.

He stated that the Turkish army had neutralized 38,489 terrorists since July 24, 2015, the start of the Turkish army’s operations against the militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) from the various terrorist organizations of “PKK”, “ISIS” and “BYD / YBG”, stressing the continuation of large-scale operations in northern Syria and Iraq until the last armed member of these organizations is neutralized.

Regarding border security, he said that the Border Guard forces arrested 474 people, 37 of them members of terrorist organizations, while trying to cross the country’s borders illegally in the past seven days.

He indicated that the number of people who were arrested while trying to enter Turkish territory illegally during the current year amounted to 5,756, including 417 belonging to terrorist organizations.

The Turkish official added that his country’s forces also prevented 4,291 people from crossing the border illegally during the past seven days, indicating that the number of people who were prevented before crossing the border since the beginning of this year amounted to 145,697 people.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency