ISTANBUL, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish army neutralized 20 members of the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, and one PKK member in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.
In a statement on X, the ministry said the 20 "terrorists" were preparing an attack in the Euphrates Shield and Peace Spring areas of northern Syria.
Since 2016, Türkiye has conducted anti-terror operations along its border with northern Syria to establish a YPG-free zone. These operations include Euphrates Shield in 2016, Olive Branch in 2018, and Peace Spring in 2019 and 2020.
Türkiye considers the YPG to be the Syrian branch of the PKK. The PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been in rebellion against the Turkish government for over three decades. ■
