Turkey nabs 4 YPG/PKK terrorists plotting major attack

ISTANBUL/SANLIURFA, Turkey

At least four YPG/PKK terrorists, who were plotting a large-scale attack, were arrested in Istanbul, a security source said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip, anti-terror teams of Istanbul police launched an operation to catch four Syrians who had illegally entered Turkey and were planning a terrorist attack. They were active in the terror group’s Syrian branch of YPG/PYD, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police raided many addresses simultaneously in the Turkish metropolis to arrest the suspects.

Many documents related to the terror group and digital materials were also seized during the operation.

Separately, in southeastern Sanliurfa province, six suspects were detained in an operation conducted at certain addresses in Suruc district against suspects allegedly linked to the PKK/KCK terrorist organization.

As part of the investigation launched by the local prosecutor's office, the suspects were arrested for spreading terrorist propaganda of PKK/KCK on social media.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is PKK's Syrian branch.

*Writing by Sena Guler and Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara