Turkey neutralizes terrorist in country’s east

By Cankut Tasdan and Huseyin Yildiz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security forces “neutralized” a terrorist in the eastern Van province, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

In a statement, the ministry said that gendarmerie forces carried out a counter-terror operation in the rural areas of Baskale district.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

The operation is still underway, the ministry added.

Although the statement did not mention any specific terrorist group, Turkish forces have been conducting operations against the YPG/PKK terrorist organization in the region for a long time.

Separately, a YPG/PKK terrorist who surrendered to Turkish security forces in Syria’s Qamisli on Aug. 18 was brought to eastern Igdir province, said the local governorate on Tuesday.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.