Turkish security forces on Saturday seized more than 1.5 million cannabis roots in eastern Turkey.

The seizure came amid an anti-drug operation carried out by gendarmerie teams in the countryside of Van province to stop drug trafficking by the PKK terrorist group and to bring the perpetrators to justice, said the governorship in a statement.

Security forces frequently carry out operations against PKK-linked cannabis cultivation areas in rural Diyarbakır.

The PKK is accused of smuggling drugs to and from Europe as well as cultivating cannabis in southeastern Turkey as a way to fund its illegal activities.

In its production process, the PKK terrorist organization forces civilians to produce cannabis roots in the eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey and uses that money to fund terrorist activities.

The PKK has reportedly financed its terrorist activities through illegal drug trade since as early as the 1980s, with Interpol estimating up to 80% of European illicit drug markets being supplied by PKK-controlled trafficking networks.