9 areas in SE Turkey declared 'special security zone'

SIRNAK, Turkey

Nine areas located in Turkey’s southeastern Sirnak province have been declared "temporary special security zone" due to ongoing security and military operations against the terrorist organization PKK, the province governorate said on Sunday.

According to the Sirnak governorate’s statement, the decision aims to ensure public order for the next 15 days.

The coordinates of these areas were shared on the governor's official website.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU, which resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, PKK terrorist attacks have martyred more than 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of numerous civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists have been killed in army operations.

*Reporting by Ekrem Payan; Writing by Hatice Kesgin