6 more PKK terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces last week, says official

Six more PKK terrorists have laid down their arms and surrendered to Turkish security forces over the last week, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

Six more PKK terrorists fleeing hideouts in northern Iraq have surrendered, ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk told reporters at a briefing in the capital, Ankara.

He added that a large number of weapons, ammunition, and various materials were seized in terrorist caves, shelters, and hideouts in Operation Claw-Lock and other operational areas, rendering them unusable.PKK terrorists frequently hide out in northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, to plan attacks on Türkiye's soil.In recent years, Türkiye has noted its success in defeating the terrorist PKK both at home and abroad, as well as an increasing number of PKK members abandoning the terror group and surrendering to Turkish forces. Such defectors could benefit from Türkiye's penal law.

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

- Illegal crossings into Türkiye

The Turkish Armed Forces continue to protect borders uninterruptedly with the most effective security measures in the country's history, the spokesman emphasized.

Since January 1, as many as 2,559 individuals attempting to cross illegally have been caught, including 112 in the last week alone, the spokesperson noted.

Another 37,637 were prevented from crossing, including 1,634 in the past week, he mentioned.

- Gaza

Akturk condemned Israel's 614-day “arbitrary and unlawful attacks” on Gaza and its obstruction of humanitarian aid.

He described Tel Aviv's interception of the humanitarian ship Madleen, carrying Turkish citizens, as a blatant violation of international law, calling once again for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded aid delivery to Palestinians.

The aid ship Madleen was seized by Israeli naval forces early Monday while sailing in international waters and redirected to the port of Ashdod.

Part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the aid ship had a 12-strong crew on board, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Other activists aboard the Madleen included Acar and Ordu, as well as Baptiste Andre, Pascal Maurieras, Yanis Mhamdi, and Reva Viard from France; Thiago Avila from Brazil; Sergio Toribio from Spain; Marco van Rennes from the Netherlands; and Omar Faiad, a journalist with Al Jazeera, also from France.

As Israel has continued to close all Gaza's border crossings to humanitarian aid since early March, aid agencies have warned of the risk of famine among Gaza's 2.4 million inhabitants.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

- Defense industry advancements

In terms of defense industry advancements, the spokesperson stated that new weapons, such as SAR-56 rifles and thermal cameras, have been added to the inventory.

Türkiye and Indonesia signed an agreement for the export of 48 KAAN fighter jets during the Indo Defence 2025 expo, he pointed out.

Regarding Libya, officials reaffirmed that the 2019 Turkey-Libya Maritime Jurisdiction Agreement protects mutual rights under international law and welcomed news that the Haftar side is reviewing the deal.

Commenting on Syria, Akturk further emphasized Ankara's commitment to the country's territorial integrity and warned against the misuse of the YPG/SDG's potential integration into the new Syrian governance structure.

The fight against terrorism remains a top priority.

YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror group.