Turkey Neutralizes Over 3,000 PKK Members in 2024

Turkey's armed forces have reported the neutralization of over 3,070 members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in military operations across northern Syria and Iraq in 2024. President Erdogan reaffirmed the government's commitment to eradicating the PKK, labeling them as 'separatist criminals' and emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The Turkish Ministry of Defense indicated that 1,579 PKK fighters were neutralized in Syria and 1,491 in Iraq, with a total of 49 terrorists neutralized in the past week alone. Turkish military operations have intensified, especially in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, amid ongoing clashes with U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. The Ministry also highlighted significant findings in terrorist hideouts, including caches of weapons and ammunition. Turkey's counterterrorism efforts are part of a broader strategy to secure its borders and address regional instability following the recent changes in Syria's political landscape.