Turkish security forces killed 3,100 Kurdish militants in 2015, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says, vowing no let-up in a relentless offensive to oust rebels from towns and mountains in the southeast.
His remarks, which were part of a televised New Year’s address, come as alarm grows over the humanitarian impact of curfews in the southeast to back up the latest military campaign against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that began earlier this month.
“In 2015, 3,100 terrorists were neutralized in operations at home and abroad,” he says referring to the military operations on PKK strongholds in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looks on at the US Chief of Missions Residence during a bilateral meeting December 1, 2015. (Photo by AFP Photo/Jim Watson)
“Our security forces are flushing out the terrorists from every inch of the mountains and the towns and will continue to do so,” he says.
“Our fight.. will continue until the very end,” adds Erdogan.
It was not possible to independently verify the toll.
— AFP
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