Joint operations by police and gendarmerie troops were carried out in 29 provinces against the PKK on Sunday, from Istanbul to Ağrı in the east.
Some suspects are accused of carrying out PKK propaganda on social media, as well as membership of a terrorist group, and aiding and abetting the said group. Intelligence and counterterrorism units of police raided several locations in the operations targeting the group’s “media networks.” The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the suspects were running news websites acting as mouthpieces of the terrorist group, as well as social media accounts glorifying the group.
Some operations focused on suspects who attended Nevruz celebrations they exploited to celebrate the terrorist group. A group of suspects were accused of helping PKK terrorists captured while trying to infiltrate into Türkiye in 2022 and were already wanted on those charges.
Along with the suspects, authorities seized a large number of unlicensed pistols, rifles and digital evidence.
Operations are part of efforts to eliminate the PKK's presence within Turkish borders, in tandem with Turkish airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against the terrorist group's members holed up with Türkiye's neighbors close to its border. PKK terrorists often hide in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.
Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the terrorist PKK's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border. It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq.
On Sunday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that two PKK members were eliminated in an operation by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in northern Iraq’s Hakurk region, while another terrorist was eliminated in an area liberated from terrorists in Syria’s north earlier.
Ankara plans a new swoop in on the militants this summer and has sought Iraqi cooperation, in the form of a joint operations room, as well as recognition by Baghdad of the PKK threat.
Earlier this week, the Defense Ministry announced that a total of 802 terrorists have been eliminated, with 360 in northern Iraq and 442 in northern Syria since Jan. 1, 2024, including 54 terrorists in the past week alone.
In addition, a significant number of suspected terrorists have begun to abandon the PKK and surrender, but many terrorists lack the courage to leave the terrorist group out of fear of severe punishment if caught.
The terrorist group also gained a foothold in Europe, with its supporters spread across the continent. Earlier this week, Turkish security sources said that the group has been infiltrating European countries by exploiting the legal gaps and vague policies to recruit militants and finance its activities.
Recently, eight PKK terrorists were detained in a simultaneous operation by the French and Belgian police. The suspects were accused of preparing or financing terrorist acts and extorting money to finance a terrorist organization.
The Belgian police confiscated documents and technical equipment of the pro-PKK Sterk TV and Medya Haber TV channels in raids on their studios, while the French police carried out raids on the pro-PKK Drancy Democratic Kurdish Community Center and the homes of some of its members.
The PKK terrorists see Europe as a strategic front against Türkiye and utilize it as a logistical, financial and recruitment base, as European countries remain silent and even support them, even though the PKK is classified as a terrorist group by the bloc.
The tolerance of European countries to PKK’s activities allowed them to take daring steps and raise their voices.
Belgium is the so-called headquarters of the PKK in Europe but it also carries out propaganda activities in France, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
When the PKK was listed as a terror group by the EU in 2002, Belgium swiftly followed course. But in practice, many competent Belgian authorities have overlooked or adopted ineffective measures in dealing with the terror group and its affiliated organizations. By and large, the PKK is not only a terrorist group that freely operates in the political, social and economic spheres in Brussels, but it also acts like it enjoys judicial exemption. Belgium refrains from pursuing a resolute policy toward the PKK terror group, unlike other terror organizations such as Daesh.
In their activities in Europe, the PKK sympathizers organize quickly and carry out violent acts, and clash with security forces.
The recent surge in PKK violence has pushed European authorities to draw the line and take action.
For instance, the surge in PKK attacks against Turkish people, and the insufficient response of Belgian security forces have led many people to react against the PKK.
European authorities are concerned that the violent acts of the PKK may increase.
From Belgium to Germany, tensions run high in Europe as the supporters of the terrorist group PKK target Turks and Turkish missions.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
Though officially outlawed in the EU and individual member states, in practice, the terrorist PKK has been allowed to demonstrate, raise funds for its terror campaign, and threaten or attack locals in European countries. Türkiye has long decried tolerance for the terror group and its supporters in Europe.
