Ankara reports 5,508 illegal border crossings prevented in 2025

The Turkish Armed Forces continue to take comprehensive measures to safeguard the country’s borders and combat all forms of risks and threats, the Ministry of Defence announced.

Speaking at a briefing, Zeki Aktürk, head of the Ministry’s press service, highlighted the latest operational updates, according to Caliber.Az.

Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerimizin, kalıcı güvenliği tesis etmek amacıyla 7 gün 24 saat esasıyla gerçekleştirdiği görev ve faaliyetleri kapsamında son bir haftada barınma alanlarından kaçan 2 PKK’lı terörist teslim oldu.#MillîSavunmaBakanlığı pic.twitter.com/5rI1rEmeno

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) August 28, 2025

Aktürk reported that in the past week, two PKK members who had escaped from their hideouts in northern Iraq voluntarily surrendered. He noted that during ongoing search and rescue operations in the Pençe-Kilit operation zone, Turkish forces discovered and destroyed a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, and various other materials hidden in shelters, hideouts, and caves used by the terrorists.

Border security operations also yielded significant results. According to Aktürk, 395 individuals attempting to cross the border illegally were detained in the past week, including five members of terrorist organisations. This brings the total number of people detained for attempted illegal border crossings since January 1 to 5,508.

The ministry also reported successes in anti-smuggling efforts. During search and verification operations carried out along the Van and Iğdır borders, 166 kilograms of narcotics were seized.

Addressing counterterrorism efforts in northern Syria, Aktürk stated that the military’s ongoing operations to destroy tunnels used by terrorist elements in operational zones have so far neutralised 556 kilometres of tunnels. This includes an additional eight-kilometre tunnel destroyed in the Manbij area over the past week, he said.

By Tamilla Hasanova