Military to move personnel by air

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Soldiers heading to their bases or taking leave from their posts in rural areas will be transported by helicopters between city centers and their posts. DHA photo

Turkey’s General Staff has ordered the transportation of the military personnel from zones under security risks to be conducted by air, in an effort to avoid ambushes to military vehicle convoys traveling on roads by suspected members of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).

All soldiers heading to their bases or taking leave from their posts in rural areas will be transported by helicopters between city centers and their posts, according to a statement released by the General Staff last week.

The General Staff reportedly decided on this move as a part of a number of security measures in regions where the terror risk is high.

Meanwhile, some 970 members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were killed while another 174 surrendered during operations conducted in rural Turkey and northern Iraq in the first nine months of 2012, the Interior Ministry has said.

The figures were drawn from a report from the ministry detailing internal security operations and cross-border air raids conducted by F-16 aircraft in northern Iraq, daily Bugün reported. According to the report, 970 PKK members were killed from January to September in the two areas, while 30 injured members were captured.

The PKK has suffered great losses due to the operations and faces serious disorganization, the report said, adding that 174 PKK members had fled the organization and surrendered to security forces. The number of PKK members who surrender is expected to increase greatly, the report added.

Authorities have arrested 6,300 people who are accused of being PKK members, members of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) – the alleged urban wing of the PKK – followers of the outlawed organization, as well as of aiding and abetting the group.

According to the report, due to the recent increase in land and air operations, the number of PKK members has decreased from 5,500-6,000 to 4,000-4,500. The report said there were currently 1,500-1,600 armed PKK members in rural areas of Turkey.