Türkiye reports surrender of three more PKK terrorists last week VIDEO

The Turkish Armed Forces have gained battlefield superiority and pushed the PKK terrorist organisation to the brink of extinction thanks to the heroism of soldiers and the contribution of the national defence industry.

According to the Turkish Defence Ministry spokesperson Zeki Aktürk, in the past week, three more PKK terrorists surrendered, two of whom escaped from their hideouts in northern Iraq, and three were found in a cave and responded to a call to surrender, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Ministry's X page.

“During operational-search activities in the terrorists' shelters, hideouts, and caves identified in the Pençe-Kilit [Claw-Lock] operation area, a large amount of weapons, ammunition, and various materials were seized and rendered unusable,” Aktürk noted.

Additionally, over the past week, 175 people were arrested, including four members of the terrorist organisation who were attempting to illegally cross the border.

Millî Savunma Bakanlığı Haftalık Basın Bilgilendirme Toplantısı, TSK İnsani Yardım Tugay Komutanlığında gerçekleştirildi.

Basın ve Halkla İlişkiler Müşaviri ve Bakanlık Sözcüsü Tuğamiral Zeki Aktürk tarafından düzenlenen basın toplantısında şu bilgiler paylaşıldı:

TSK, EĞİTİM… pic.twitter.com/VpOqf4PeNY

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) May 8, 2025

Türkiye’s military campaign against the PKK, particularly under the framework of the ongoing Pençe-Kilit (Claw-Lock) operation in northern Iraq, has intensified in recent years. The operation, launched in April 2022, targets PKK strongholds in the mountainous regions along the Türkiye-Iraq border, aiming to disrupt the group’s mobility and logistical networks.

Türkiye considers the PKK a terrorist organization, as do the U.S. and the EU. However, tensions occasionally arise with Western allies over support extended to affiliated Kurdish groups in Syria, such as the YPG, which Ankara views as an extension of the PKK.

In late February, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned since 1999, called on the group to end its armed resistance and disband. This message, delivered through a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, was read aloud at a press conference in Istanbul and broadcast to crowds in southeastern Türkiye. The move was supported by the DEM and nationalist MHP parties, paving the way for renewed peace talks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hailed the moment as a “historic step” and stressed the importance of creating an inclusive climate for peace. However, he warned that if commitments were not met, Türkiye would resume military operations against the PKK.

By Khagan Isayev