Ankara: Turkish security forces have conducted over 450 operations against members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) across the country with the participation of over 13,000 law enforcement officers, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday.
On Sunday, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that two terrorists had carried out an explosion near a ministry building in Ankara. Two police officers were wounded. One of the attackers had been identified as a PKK member. Later on Sunday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said that the country’s military conducted air strikes against the PKK in northern Iraq and destroyed 20 targets.
“As of 08.30 (05:30 GMT) this morning, 466 counter-terrorist operations were carried out throughout Turkey with the participation of 13,440 security personnel,” Yerlikaya told a briefing.
He also said that 55 suspected members of terrorist organizations were detained during the operations carried out in 16 provinces.
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that the government may conduct cross-border operation against militants of the PKK if necessary.
The newspaper also reported that Turkish law enforcement agencies were currently actively working to establish whether the building of the parliament was the real target of the Sunday attack.
The armed conflict between the PKK and Turkey began in 1984 and was renewed in 2015. The organization, which seeks the creation of an independent Kurdish state, including on the Turkish territory, has established bases in Iraqi and Syrian territories close to the Turkish border, where the Turkish armed forces have been targeting them in land and air strikes.
