2 more PKK terrorists surrender to Turkish security forces

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Two more PKK terrorists have laid down their weapons and surrendered to Turkish security forces, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said they fled the terror group thanks to persuasion efforts of Turkish police and gendarmerie forces, and surrendered eventually.

The terrorists joined the PKK in 1993 and were active in Iraq and Iran.

With the latest surrenders, the number of terrorists who have laid down their arms through persuasion efforts this year has risen to 124, it added.

In Türkiye, offenders linked to terrorist groups who surrender are eligible for possible sentence reductions under a repentance law.

According to Turkish officials, in recent years the terrorist PKK – battered and demoralized by Turkish security forces' successful operations – has been losing members and failing to attract new ones.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist group by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.