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Erdogan: Turkey killed 13,000 Daesh, PKK terrorists

March 5, 2017 at 1:24 pm

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan salutes the people as he gives a speech during the council meeting of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) at ATO Congresium in Ankara, Turkey on November 08, 2016 [ Mehmet Ali Özcan / Anadolu Agency]

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey have killed more than 3,000 Daesh and 10,000 PKK militants in the past 18 months.

In a rally Saturday promoting constitutional changes – which will be subjected to a referendum on April 16 – in Turkey’s southwestern Tekirdag province, Erdogan said: “In the past year and a half, we have neutralised more than 3,000 Daesh, and 10,000 PKK militants.”

Erdogan said that Turkey would continue to fight against terrorism until all terror organisations were eradicated.

He added: “There is a Turkey now that brings confidence to friends and spreads fear to terrorist organisations.”

Since it resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,200 security personnel and civilians, including women and children.

A Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield began last August to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the terror threat along the Turkish border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.