Ankara, March 14 (IANS) Turkish forces killed 24 Kurdish militants in cross-border operations in northern Iraq and northern Syria over the past week, Turkey’s Defence Ministry announced.
The crackdown on Kurdish factions came after a deal between Syrian Kurds and the central government in Damascus, as well as the declaration of a ceasefire with Turkey by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Xinhua news agency reported.
A total of 502 militants have been killed since January, including 296 from the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria and 206 PKK members in northern Iraq, Ministry Spokesperson Zeki Akturk told reporters.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and the European Union, has been in rebellion against the Turkish government for over three decades. The YPG is considered the PKK’s Syrian branch by Ankara.
Turkey regularly conducts military operations in northern Iraq, where the PKK’s headquarters and hideouts are located. Early this month, the PKK declared a ceasefire with Türkiye after its jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan called on all PKK-affiliated groups to lay down their arms and the PKK to dissolve itself.
On Monday, a breakthrough pact was reached between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and Syria’s interim government to merge all civil and military institutions in the Kurdish-controlled region under state institutions.
However, the deal will not change Turkey’s commitment to countering terrorism in Syria, according to a report by Turkish semi-official Anadolu Agency on Thursday, which cited an anonymous Defence Ministry source.
There has been “no change” in Turkey’s objectives, which include “the cessation of terrorist activities in Syria, the disarmament of militants, and the removal of foreign fighters from the country,” said the source, while affirming Turkey’s commitment to ensuring Syria’s territorial and political integrity.
“We will observe how the agreement is implemented and its effects on the ground,” the source added.
–IANS
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