Turkey detains more than 1,000 suspects in latest anti-terror raids
During the past week, 1,157 counter-terrorism operations led to 243 arrests over suspected links to terror organisations and the recovery of a heavy cache of arms and ammunition.
Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged a decades-long bloody campaign against Turkey.
A total of 213 PKK terrorists were detained in anti-terror operations between July 17 and 24, according to a statement released by the Turkish interior ministry Monday.
Police squads, gendarmerie units, and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) conducted 1,119 counter-terror operations against the PKK, during which 26 terrorists were killed, another three were captured alive while 14 others surrendered themselves to authorities.
A total of 33 heavy and long barrel weapons, numerous explosives, thousands of pieces of ammunition, and 18 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were seized and 12 shelters and caves used by the terrorist organisation were destroyed, the statement elaborated.
It further said that as part of the operations carried out against foreign terrorists security personnel detained some 46 Daesh suspects and 831 people with suspected links to the Gulenist network or what Anakra calls the Fetullah Gulen Terror Organisation (FETO).
According to the Turkish government, FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the failed coup of July 15, 2016, which killed 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. Gulen denies the allegations.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU. It has waged an armed campaign against the Turkish state for most of the period since 1984. It resumed its deadly attacks in 2015 after the failure of a reconciliation process that was initiated by Anakara in early 2013 with "the ultimate goal" of disarming the group.
Since then, authorities say it has killed around 1,200 people, including women and children.
Also, anti-narcotics teams across Turkey conducted 2,108 operations, the statement added, leading to the seizure of more than 3,800 kilogrammes (8,450 pounds) of cannabis, 755 kilogrammes (1,660 pounds) of heroin and more than 1.8 million pills.
Nearly 3,000 suspects were arrested in narcotics raids.
As part of the fight against irregular migration, 2,059 illegal immigrants, including 229 on sea, and 43 organisers were captured.
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