Türkiye ‘neutralized’ 1,220 terrorists in 2022: Interior minister

By Mumin Altas

ANKARA (AA) - In 2022, Turkish security forces “neutralized” a total of 1,220 terrorists, including 87 senior ones, belonging to several terror groups, the Turkish interior minister said on Wednesday.

Briefing the media about measures taken against terrorism in 2022, Suleyman Soylu said that Turkish security forces prevented 185 terrorist acts, including 18 suicide bombings.

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

Soylu said that a total of 285,027 irregular migrants, including 49,518 at sea, were also held over the past year.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the terror group's Syrian branch.

In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terror group.

The country has since been attacked by Daesh/ISIS terrorists several times, with 315 people killed and hundreds injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults.

In response, Türkiye launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.