Turkish security forces 'neutralized' 258 terrorists over past 3 months

ANKARA

Türkiye "neutralized" a total of 258 terrorists in 43,490 anti-terror operations over the past three months, the interior minister said on Wednesday.

Some 44 terrorist attacks, the vast majority – 37 – intended bomb attacks, were prevented in the last 90 days, Ali Yerlikaya told reporters.

A total of 75,442 irregular immigrants were held in 1,285 operations carried out in the last three months, while over 32,500 of them were deported, Yerlikaya said.

The deportation process of the remaining irregular immigrants is underway, he said.

In the last 90 days, 2,159 people were arrested on suspicion of migrant smuggling activities, Yerlikaya added.

Thanks to intensive and comprehensive controls on irregular migrants in the field, nearly 89,400 foreigners living in Istanbul alone, whose visa, visa exemption, or residence period had expired, left the country over the past three months, he said.

Thanks to the successful efforts of border troops, over 59,000 people were prevented from crossing the border in the past 90 days, he added.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz