Istanbul : Turkish police on Wednesday arrested 31 suspected militants, as a part of an investigation into the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist organisation, the Anadolu news agency quoted a security source, as saying.
In the operations, 31 out of the 43 suspects, are members of the left-wing Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK).
The news agency, attributing to a security source, said that a gun, ammunition and a hunting rifle were recovered.
The PKK is based in Turkey and Iraq. Since 1984, it has been involved in an armed conflict with Turkey, with the initial aim of achieving an independent Kurdish state.
It has been listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Ankara says, PKK is responsible for the deaths of its more than 1,200 security personnel and civilians.
Turkey has been embroiled in a state of emergency since last year, ever since the failed military coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and subsequent terrorist attacks by local militants and the Islamic State (IS) group in the country.
Since January 20, Turkish forces have been carrying out a clearance operation, called Olive Branch, to clear PKK and IS terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria. (ANI)