Turkey’s Defense Ministry says 7 PKK militants surrendered, 331 illegal border crossers detained

The Turkish Ministry of Defense briefed that in the past week seven PKK militants handed themselves over to security forces. Border security units also captured 331 individuals attempting illegal crossings, four of whom were linked to the PKK, and stopped another 844 before they could cross. Since the start of the year, the total number of detained illegal crossers has risen to 5,299, while 40,134 attempts were thwarted.

In a separate operation on the Hakkâri frontier, troops seized 513 kilograms of narcotics. The ministry highlighted ongoing demolition of terrorist caves, shelters and the disposal of mines and improvised explosive devices. The briefing also referenced progress on the Ay Yıldız Joint Headquarters, a multi‑service complex intended to strengthen Turkey’s integrated defence capabilities.