UPDATES WITH MORE PKK/KCK SUSPECTS ARRESTED
By Mustafa Yildirim and İbrahim Yaldız
IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - Turkish police on Wednesday arrested 12 PKK/KCK terror suspects during counter-terrorism operations in the Aegean Izmir province, police sources said.
Counter-terrorism police conducted simultaneous operations in Izmir, arresting 12 suspects, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Prosecutors in Izmir had issued arrest warrants for the suspects, who were allegedly planning to carry out an attack on April 4, the birthday of the terror group’s jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Also, a large number of documents and digital equipment of the terrorist organization were seized in the operation.
Separately, at least 21 suspected members of the PKK/KCK terror group were arrested in eastern Mus province, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement.
They were arrested in simultaneous operations in several addresses in Mus city center along with Bulanik and Varto districts on Tuesday.
Suspects had been involved in several pro-PKK activities, said the statement, adding that unlicensed rifle, 9 firecrackers, 26 Kalashnikovs, 15 pistol cartridge with 7.65 millimeters diameter, 5 blank cartridge pistols, and a large number of organizational documents were also seized in the operations.
The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and has been responsible for the death of nearly 40,000 people.
More than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children, have been killed since July 2015 alone when the group resumed its armed campaign against the country.