'Turkey neutralized 489 terrorists in last 3 months'

By Ahmet Sertan Usul

ANKARA (AA) - A total of 489 terrorists, including 24 senior operatives, were “neutralized” over the last three months by Turkish security forces in both Turkey and northern Iraq, the nation’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

PKK terrorists -- who have killed some 40,000 innocents over the past 30 years -- often hide out in northern Iraq, venturing across the border to attempt terrorist attacks.

At a press briefing, Col. Tamer Zincir added that 17,505 military personnel have been expelled since the 2016 defeated coup over their suspected links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the bloody coup.

Legal processes continue for 6,425 others, he added.

FETO and Fetullah Gulen, its U.S.-based leader, orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

About the ongoing delivery of equipment for the Russian S-400 defense systems, Zincir said the first batch delivery to the Murted Air Base in the capital Ankara was set to conclude today.

The second batch is also expected to be delivered to the same air base, Zincir added.

The delivery of S-400 components began on July 12 and is set to continue through April 2020.

Turkey and the U.S. have been at odds over the S-400 purchase, with Washington claiming incompatibility with NATO systems, and threatening sanctions, while Ankara denies this, but promises any sanctions will be met in kind.