Türkiye eliminates more than 2,000 terrorists in 2023

Turkish security forces have “neutralized” more than 2,000 terrorists since January, National Defense Yaşar Güler announced Wednesday.

In his address to the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday, Güler evaluated the success of Ankara’s fight against terrorism, including cross-border anti-terror operations both in northern Syria and Iraq. Güler said that Türkiye has been experiencing its “most successful year” in its counterterrorism fight. At least 2,067 terrorists have been neutralized so far this year, he said.

“All our operations in Syria and Iraq are carried out by our right to self-defense arising from Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, respecting the sovereign rights and territorial integrity of our neighbors,” he emphasized.

“During the planning of the operations, all kinds of measures are taken to prevent damage to innocent civilians, friendly elements, historical and cultural assets and the environment,” he added.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralize” to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Terrorists from the PKK and its Syrian offshoot YPG often hide out across Türkiye’s border in northern Syria and Iraq, where they plot attacks on Turkish forces or the local populations. Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful counterterrorism operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019). Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terrorist group’s hideouts in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border. It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye. In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.