Turkey: 23 terrorists 'neutralized' over past week

ANKARA

At least 23 terrorists including a senior operative were neutralized in counter-terrorism operations across Turkey over the past week, the country's Interior Ministry said on Monday.

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

The ministry said in a statement that a total of 2,404 anti-terror operations were conducted on Dec. 10-17.

Aysenur Inci, a terrorist on the ministry's wanted list, surrendered to security forces on Saturday at the Habur border gate on the Turkey-Iraq border, according to the Sirnak Governor’s Office.

Inci had been involved in terrorist activities as a Daesh member in Turkey's southeastern Adiyaman province before she went to Syria to join the terror group's activities.

Security forces also seized 28 hand grenades, 482 kilograms of explosive material, 13 improvised explosives, 20 long-barreled weapons and 7,499 ammunition.

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, including women and children.

The security forces arrested 3,351 suspects for crimes linked to drugs and smuggling, 751 others for aiding and abetting terror organizations and 226 suspects for human trafficking.

A total of 3,821 irregular migrants were caught during the operations, according to the statement.

Reporting by Cankut Tasdan and Sertac Bulur:Writing by Faruk Zorlu