A YPG/PKK terrorist has surrendered to security forces in southeastern Turkey, security forces said Friday.

The terrorist turned himself in at the Demirtepe border gate in Mardin province, the gendarmerie said in a statement.

As a result of persuasion efforts by Turkish security forces and families of the terrorists, the dissolution of the terrorist organization continues, the statement added.

The Interior Ministry in a Nov. 26 statement said the dissolution of the PKK has accelerated due to Turkey's successful counterterrorism operations and strategies both at home and abroad.

The statement said a significant number of terrorists have fled the PKK and surrendered. More than 235 terrorists have surrendered to Turkish security forces in 2019 alone.

Once the terrorists surrender, they are provided with many opportunities, including the right to education and the freedom to live without fear of oppression. They are not ill-treated, can contact their families freely and are provided with essential judicial assistance. The Turkish state offers a variety of services to ensure their social reintegration.

According to some former terrorists, the PKK ringleaders risk the lives of others to save their own and threaten those planning to surrender with torture.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.