Turkey nabs 18 PKK suspects across country

By Abdullah Soylemez and Mirac Kaya

AGRI/BALIKESIR, Turkey (AA) - Security forces in eastern Turkey arrested a total of 12 suspects Monday over alleged links to the PKK terrorist organization.

Prosecutors in Agri province launched an investigation into 13 suspects named by others previously arrested for PKK links.

The gendarmerie command team arrested 12 out of the 13 suspects on charges of assisting an armed terrorist organization.

Operations to arrest the remaining suspect are ongoing.

Six other suspects who allegedly spread PKK propaganda over social media were also arrested by the counter-terrorism teams in simultaneous operations in the northwestern Balikesir province.

Operations to arrest four more suspects continue.

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

* Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara