ANKARA

Three Turkish soldiers were martyred in northern Iraq by PKK terrorists on Friday, the military said in a statement.

Meanwhile,12 PKK suspects were arrested during simultaneous operations in seven provinces, including Van, Agri, Tekirdag, Hakkari and Istanbul provinces.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years and has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people.

More than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children, have been killed since July 2015 alone when the group resumed its armed campaign against the country.