Turkey prevented 347 terror acts in 2018: Interior minister

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkey prevented some 347 terror acts in 2018, the country's interior minister said on Dec. 19.

Speaking at a workshop on counter-terrorism in Ankara, Süleyman Soylu stressed on the decrease of terror acts in Turkey.

"Last year, we prevented 697 terror acts - which became 347 this year. There is a tremendous struggle and serious success that can't be ignored," Soylu said.

Soylu pointed out that the world was introduced with the concept of "global terror" with the September 11 attacks in the U.S., which was termed a global terror act by the country.

The U.S. then said the fight must be turned to a global one and occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, Soylu added.

Turkish interior minister said there was an increase in acts of terrorism worldwide between 2002 and 2007.

"Then, there was a 35 percent decrease between 2007 and 2011, and after the Arab Spring between 2011 and 2014, a 350 percent increase was observed due to Daesh [ISIL], Boko Haram and PKK/PYD [terror] acts."

Soylu underlined that especially after Turkey's Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in northern Syria, the number of global terror acts declined after 2014.

"Nearly 9,500 European citizens from 28 EU countries, who attempted to cross to conflict zones and join terrorist organizations like PKK/PYD and Daesh [ISIL], had a permanent entry ban imposed on them," Soylu said, stressing that France and Belgium were the first two of these 28 EU countries.

Soylu further asserted that Turkey had so far imposed permanent entry bans on 69,967 people from 151 countries.

Turkey also extradited a total of 7,031 foreign terrorists of 100 nationalities, Soylu added.