Turkish National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli stated on Thursday that Turkish security forces have neutralized 2,304 Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists since Jan. 10, 2017. He said that this number indicates Turkey’s success in its counterterrorism efforts.
Regarding the U.S. weapons seized in the terror attack organized by the PKK terrorists on Nov. 8 in Hakkari, Canikli said that Turkish authorities already explained that the People’s Protection Units (YPG) is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, and the two terrorist organizations are commanded from the same source.
Stating that Turkey submitted this issue not only to the United States, also to the United Kingdom, Spain, Albania and other countries with verified documents and photographs, Canikli added: “We clearly explained to the U.S. authorities that particularly an AT-4 anti-tank is one of the weapons given by the coalition, the United States to the YPG terrorists.”
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
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.
