Turkey to financially help tradesmen affected by terror

By Saim Harmanci

HAKKARI, Turkey

More than 3 million Turkish liras will be distributed to tradesmen affected by terror in a district of Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province, an area that suffered during clashes between the army and the PKK terrorist organization.

Mahmut Kasikci, Yuksekova district governor, announced Thursday that 3.28 million Turkish liras (approximately $873,000) would be provided to 1,336 tradesmen to compensate their losses.

"We will deposit money into their accounts next week after reviewing the last documents," Kasikci said.

Security forces launched an anti-terror operation in Hakkari, where a curfew was declared, in March 2016.

During the operation, which wrapped up around a month later, shops and businesses in Yuksekova were shuttered.

More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.

In anti-terror operations, more than 10,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended. Around 5,500 weapons, 652,000 rounds of ammunition, over 142 tons of explosives and 15,000 bombs have been seized.