103 terror members surrender through persuasion, says Yerlikaya

ANKARA

Türkiye’s security forces have maintained uninterrupted counterterrorism operations throughout the year, reporting significant seizures, destroyed hideouts and a rise in militants surrendering through persuasion efforts, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Dec. 1.

Highlighting the impact of persuasion efforts aimed at encouraging militants to lay down arms, the minister said 103 members of terrorist organizations surrendered after returning from abroad.

Speaking at the gendarmerie general command’s annual assessment meeting in Ankara, Yerlikaya said the “terror-free Türkiye” vision remains a central priority and stressed that the government aims to move beyond a period in which “terror casts a shadow.”

“We continue our uninterrupted search and patrol activities in rural areas to ensure that the process of eliminating terrorism remains successful,” he said.

According to the minister, security forces carried out 91 major and medium-scale search operations this year — 14 large and 77 medium. During these operations, authorities destroyed 306 caves and shelters, seized 3,442 kilograms of explosives, 403 weapons and 45,465 rounds of ammunition.

Yerlikaya also reported increased activity by aerial surveillance assets, noting that unmanned aerial vehicles logged 43,193 flight hours over the year.

The minister further underlined that the gendarmerie, with 216,000 personnel responsible for the security of more than 17 million citizens across a vast operational area, remains a cornerstone of national security.