Turkish Defense Ministry: 408 PKK members killed this year

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Turkiye's Defense Ministry announced that 31 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed over the past week during military operations in northern Iraq and Syria, bringing the total number of PKK members killed this year to 408.

The ministry's public relations and media adviser, Zeki Akturk, stated that Turkiye “remains committed to eliminating PKK threats along its borders.”

Turkiye has conducted multiple military campaigns targeting PKK elements and ISIS in northern Syria, including Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019). The Turkish Defense Ministry continues these strikes, citing concerns over "border security, militant activity near Turkish-controlled areas, and efforts by PKK-affiliated groups to destabilize the region."

Ankara classifies the PKK as a terrorist organization and argues that its military operations are necessary to prevent cross-border attacks, however, those attacks come amid ongoing peace efforts.