PKK lost its ability to stage planned attacks: Turkish deputy PM

ANKARA

The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has lost its ability to carry out planned attacks in Turkey, Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson Bekir Bozdağ has said.

“PKK has completely lost its ability to stage planned attacks on Turkish soil today. It’s now forced to carry out attacks without planning,” Bozdağ said during a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) event in the Central Anatolian province of Yozgat on Sept. 30, adding that the outlawed group “received the harshest blow ever.”

“The security forces entered places that are impossible to enter, the dens were demolished and the caves were destroyed,” he said.

Saying that Turkey has been struggling with nearly 10 “terrorist groups,” including the PKK, the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), widely believed to have been behind the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt.

“When we are struggling against these terrorist groups, we are not simply fighting against these subcontractor organizations. During the July 15 coup attempt, our nation not only defeated FETÖ terrorists but also beat this FETÖ dog and those behind him,” he said, referring to the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen who leads FETÖ.

Bozdağ said Turkey is the only country that struggles alone with that high number of “terrorist groups,” vowing “the country will continue to beat these organizations.”

“Turkey has also beaten the powers behind these terrorist groups,” he also said.

During his speech, Bozdağ said drones and armed unmanned drones (SİHA) dealt a huge blow to the PKK, while adding that “thousands of terrorists were neutralized and thousands more were apprehended.”

“This struggle will continue until the PKK is finished,” he said.

In his speech, Bozdağ slammed main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Istanbul lawmaker Sezgin Tanrıkulu for criticizing the use of armed drones in security operations.

“Kılıçdaroğlu asks, ‘Were they civilians or not? Did you check their identities?’ Are our security forces supposed to ask terrorists during the security operations, ‘Stop, we’ll check your IDs. We’ll decide on how to treat you after checking if you have a terrorist identity given from Kandil or not,’” Bozdağ said.

His remarks came after Tanrıkulu voiced his concerns over claims that an armed drone in the southeastern province of Hakkari on Aug. 31 shot four civilians and left one dead, drawing ire from both the military and the government.

Bozdağ said “no country asks for the identities of terrorists during security operations.”

“Where in the world is terror being fought by asking the terrorists their identities? Do we have such an example? Does the whole world, which is struggling with the ISIL terrorist group, ask ISIL terrorists their identities?” he added.