No loss of life was caused during the operation.
Plans by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to attack commemoration ceremonies marking the 80th death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk were foiled by Turkish security forces in the southeastern province of Şırnak.
Model planes loaded with explosives were destroyed by security forces. The devices were to be used in terror attacks targeting the governorate building and military areas.
One of the neutralized devices fell to the garden of the governorate building.
No loss of life was caused during the operation.
Plans by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to attack commemoration ceremonies marking the 80th death anniversary of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk were foiled by Turkish security forces in the southeastern province of Şırnak.
Turkey foils explosive PKK attack
Atatürk made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led forces to repel the allied invasion in Çanakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles.
Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the World War I, Atatürk led the Turkish War of Independence, which defeated European powers. When he became president, Atatürk transformed the former empire into a modern and secular country.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, planned to attack various ceremonies commemorating Atatürk’s death. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
Turkey commemorated the 80th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, with official and unofficial ceremonies held across the country on Saturday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum in the capital Ankara, and laid a wreath on his resting place. Thousands of people carrying red and white flags also joined the ceremony.Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and parliament speaker Binali Yıldırım also participated in the commemoration ceremony, as well as force commanders and other high-level state officials early in the day.In a commemorative message marking the day, Erdoğan said, "Gazi [Veteran] Mustafa Kemal, who managed to unite our nation around a common ideal in the difficult path he took with endless confidence and belief in the nation, has crowned our war of independence with the foundation of our republic."Galeri: Turkish people observe two minutes of silence for AtatürkChief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, and parliament speaker Binali Yıldırım also participated to the commemoration ceremony, as well as force commanders and other high-level state officials early in the day.At 9.05 a.m. (0605GMT) sirens wailed to mark the exact moment of Ataturk's death at the age of 57 in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace.Around the country, people stopped in the streets or stood silently at their workplaces to remember Ataturk.Several commemorations were held in Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Istanbul's Taksim Square.Atatürk was the founder of the Republic of Turkey. He made his mark in the military in 1915 when he led forces to repel the allied invasion in Canakkale, known in the West as the Dardanelles. When he became president, Atatürk transformed the former empire into a modern and secular country.Atatürk passed away in Istanbul on Nov. 10, 1938, at the age of 57.Video: Turkey marks 80th anniversary of Atatürk's demise
Turkey marks 80th
anniversary of Atatürk’s demise