Turkey ‘neutralizes’ 32 terrorists over past week

By Fatih Hafiz Mehmet

ANKARA

Turkish security forces have "neutralized" 32 terrorists on its soil and abroad over the past week, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralize" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

It said two Turkish soldiers were also wounded in counterterrorism operations from Nov. 30- Dec. 6.

The statement said operations against the PKK/KCK terror group in Turkey's southeastern Diyarbakir, Tunceli, Sanliurfa Sirnak continued.

A total of 12 infantry rifles, an anti-tank weapon 2,727 ammunition were seized in the operations.

In operations at border areas, 264 kilograms of narcotics and 900 liters of smuggled fuel were also seized during the same period.

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