Turkish police held 18 people over “praising terrorism”, the authorities said on Monday (Jan 15), while in northern Iraq a senior member of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was “neutralised.”
On Friday (Jan 12), at least nine Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with the PKK in northern Iraq which further prompted Ankara to conduct air strikes and operations in Iraq as well as northern Syria.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya took to his official social media handle and in a posting said that the police had detained 18 people for “praising a terrorist organisation”, “spreading terrorism propaganda,” and “spreading misleading information” over Turkey’s operations in Iraq.
Yerlikaya added that arrest warrants were issued for 19 others in Turkey as well as 133 living abroad.
Turkey launches attacks against Kurdish ‘terrorist targets’ in Iraq, Syria
Turkey carried out another series of its air operations in northern Iraq and Syria in retaliation to the deaths of nine Turkish soldiers, the authorities said on Sunday (Jan 14).
“In accordance with our right to self-defence… air operations were carried out against terrorist targets in northern Iraq in the regions of Metina, Hakurk, Gara, Qandil and Asos, and in northern Syria,” the Turkish defence ministry said in a statement.
WATCH | Turkey launches airstrikes against Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria
The Turkish military claimed to have hit 24 targets, “including caves, shelters, ammunition and equipment depots, housing and gas factories” used by Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters.
Earlier on Sunday (Jan 14), the official Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that a total of 23 targets, comprising bases and arms depots, were destroyed in northern Syria.
Turkey on Saturday announced that it had struck 54 “targets” in Syria and Iraq that were affiliated with the PKK and the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
A Turkish security source said that the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) had “neutralized” Hulya Mercen, a high-ranking PKK member who had previously carried out several attacks on Turkish troops in the Metina region in northern Iraq.
(With inputs from agencies)
