PKK recruiting fewer members, Turkish interrior minister says

TRABZON

Over 2,600 people have been remanded in custody to await trial on outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) related offences, Turkey's interior minister said on April 7, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Speaking at an address in the northeastern province of Trabzon, Süleyman Soylu said police had carried out nonstop operations against the PKK's urban networks and political extensions. 

Almost 14,700 people had been arrested over the last six months, he said. Over 2,600 of these had been remanded to await trial.  Soylu said this "proactive" fight against the PKK had resulted in fewer people joining the group.

In his remarks, Soylu said 962 PKK terrorists had been neutralized in the last six months. 

Elsewhere in Turkey, the country’s security forces said they had killed three PKK millitants in the southeastern province of Şırnak. 

The Turkish General Staff said the deaths took place during a counterterrorism operation in the Cudi mountain region. 

Illegal weapons, ammunition and explosives were seized during the operation.