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A total of 53 terrorists were “neutralized” during counter-terrorism operations across Turkey over the past week, the country’s Interior Ministry said Monday.
Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
Turkish security forces have killed a senior member of the terrorist PKK accused of killing a teenager last year, officials said on Sunday. Mehmet Yakisir, codenamed Zeynel, the terrorist group’s top member in the Black Sea region, has been killed, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said on Twitter. Yakisir reportedly killed 15-year-old Eren Bulbul last August in Macka in the Black Sea province of Trabzon. Bulbul was murdered while showing security forces a PKK terrorist hideout.Turkey captures 2 key terrorists in EuropeYakisir was in the red, most-wanted category of Turkey’s wanted terrorists list. Levent Dayan, codenamed Rodi, was also killed in Kurtun, Gumushane, in the Black Sea region, said an Interior Ministry statement.“I congratulate our heroic police officers who killed two terrorists who were plotting a [terrorist] action,” said Soylu.The counter-terrorist operation is still ongoing, the ministry added.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.Police detain nine terror suspects ahead of July 15 anniversaryTurkish army 'neutralizes' six terrorists in north Iraq
PKK terrorist on most wanted list killed in north Turkey
Security forces carried out 1,950 counter-terrorism raids across Turkey from July 9-16, the ministry said.
The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.
Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry official on Monday dismissed a news report claiming complete withdrawal of PYD/YPG terrorist organization from Syria’s northeastern Manbij city.“We find it exaggerated the news claiming PYD/YPG has fully withdrawn from Manbij,” said the official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.The official said the process is ongoing, referring to patrols conducted in the region by Turkish and the U.S. troops separately, which started on June 18.“Withdrawal from the control zones on the patrol route is ongoing,” the Foreign Ministry official said, adding that the preparations for joint patrol continued.“So, the news saying that the PYD/YPG has fully withdrawn from the region doesn’t reflect the truth,” the official added.The last terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)'s Syrian affiliate, the PYD/YPG, left the northern town of Manbij had said earlier on Sunday, the terror group occupying the town said, fulfilling a longstanding Turkish demand that the YPG withdraw.Turkey objects to the presence of PKK/YPG in Syria near its border.A deal was reached between Ankara and Washington in early June, which focused on the withdrawal of the YPG terror group from the city in order to stabilize the region.The PYD/YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK terror group, which has waged a campaign against Turkey for over a decade resulting in the death of 40,000 people, including women and children.The U.S. has supported the PKK/PYD along with several other terrorist groups under the umbrella of the SDF, causing tension with Ankara.Turkish army conducts 14th round of patrols in ManbijTurkey-US working group meets in Ankara
Reports of PYD/YPG withdrawal from Manbij dismissed