LOC12:36
09:36 GMT
ISTANBUL, Dec 30 (KUNA) -- Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Wednesday that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) managed to eliminate 30,416 terrorists since July 24, 2015.
In a video conference evaluating TAF's performance during the year 2020, in which Chief of the General Staff of TAF Yasar Guler and the commanders of the land, sea, air and gendarmerie forces participated, Akar said that in 2020, TAF eradicated 3,646 terrorists through over 200 operations inside and outside of the country.
Intelligence reports that reached the Ministry of Defense indicated that the leaders of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) organization are terrified of TAF's military operations and that they cannot stay overnight in the same place.
TAF is determined to end the presence of PKK inside the country and in northern Iraq, Akar pointed out.
Their military operations against terrorists in northern Syria yielded positive results, as over a million Syrians returned to the areas that they made safe, he added.
He then went on to say that TAF is working to restore life to normal in the Syrian areas that was liberated from the terrorists.
Regarding Turkish border security, during 2020, the Turkish border guards arrested 82,229 people who tried to enter Turkish territory illegally, Akar mentioned.
Yesterday, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said that the number of PKK terrorists inside Turkish territory currently stands below 320.
The Turkish security forces and army have been targeting the sites of the separatist organization, since this organization were going against civilians, security and army personnel. (end)
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