Turkish security forces have arrested at least 37 people over suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and killed two others as part of anti-terror operations, a cabinet minister said on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that two “terrorists”, who were sought with the arrest warrant, were killed when they tried to escape across the border in the eastern province of Agri.
He added that the security forces also detained 37 PKK suspects in 15 provinces across the country, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Diyarbakir.
During the operations, unlicensed weapons, cash, checks, promissory notes, bilateral contracts and books containing records of debtors were seized, Yerlikaya said.
The Turkish government has intensified its crackdown on the PKK after a failed bomb attack in front of the Interior Ministry’s building in Ankara on Sunday, which injured two police officers.
The ministry said one of the attackers had been identified as a member of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
The PKK has been waging a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, demanding autonomy and cultural rights for the Kurdish minority. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
The Turkish military has also launched two cross-border airstrikes against the PKK targets in northern Iraq this week, destroying several hideouts and weapons depots of the group.
Turkey has repeatedly warned Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to take action against the PKK presence in their territory, saying it reserves the right to defend its national security.
(With inputs from agencies)
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