Turkey arrests hundreds of suspected terrorists link with ISIS and PKK

AP Photo 

TURKEY : Turkey started operation against terrorists, arrested around 600 people in a link with Islamic State (ISIS) and Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK).

According to the State News Agency, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, "Turkey's antiterrorism operation against ISIS and other militant targets is not over, Turkish forces arrested nearly 600 terror suspects, bombed ISIS positions in northern Iraq and rounded up Kurdish militants in a daylong operation.

In the operation conducted by the Turkish Air Force, five PKK camps in Zap, Basyan, Gare, Avashin and Metina in northern Iraq were targeted. PKK training facilities, shelters and anti-aircraft batteries were kept in the five camps. The PKK headquarters located in the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq were also reportedly hit in the attacks, reported by state news agency.

The group PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union and Turkey but PKK militants have come to the aid of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who have been fighting ISIS in northern Iraq.

PKK also enjoying the secret support from Iran.


The Turkish airstrikes on ISIS coincided with ground troops targeting PKK militants in shelters, depots and caves around mountainous areas near the Iraq border.

This week the U.S. reached a tentative agreement with Turkey to increase U.S. and coalition access to Turkish air bases.


"We attach great importance to our cooperation with the U.S. and believe that it will result in an effective fight against the ISIS threat," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said. CNN reported

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U.S designates both the PKK and ISIS as a terrorist organization

PKK- Photo by demotix.com

WASHINGTON : United States strongly condemned the PKK's recent terrorist attacks and called on the organization to renounce terrorism and re-engage in peace talks with Turkey in a statement released from White House.

Statement was issued just after the Turkish Air strikes against militants of Islamic State (IS) and PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) in Iraq and Syria. 

U.S. still designates the PKK as a terrorist organization and respects its NATO ally's(Turkey)  right to self-defense.

The Kurdistan Worker Party (PKK) was formed in 1978 and has been fighting the Turkish government for an independent state. The group then shifted its goal to autonomy in predominately Kurdish inhabited regions of Turkey. 

The PKK group is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Turkey.

One of High ranking U.S. official commented on Turkey's military operation against the PKK, writing on Twitter, a social website, that there was no connection between the airstrikes and the recent understanding to intensify U.S.-Turkish cooperation against ISIS.

United States assured that they will fight till the end of terrorism and need cooperation from the rest of world. 

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