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Three PKK terrorists have surrendered to Turkish forces, as Türkiye continues its counter-terrorism operations while simultaneously reinforcing diplomatic and defense relationships with the United States and Greece, according to Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense.
During a weekly press briefing at the General Directorate of Mapping, Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk announced that one terrorist fled from northern Iraq hideouts while two others surrendered in a cave after heeding calls to surrender.
"Three PKK terrorists have surrendered, one fleeing from hideouts in northern Iraq and two others detected in a cave who complied with surrender calls," Akturk said. "At our borders, 104 individuals were apprehended, including one terrorist organization member, while 1,893 others were prevented from crossing."
Since January 1, Turkish authorities have detained 1,666 people attempting to cross borders illegally, while preventing 27,507 others. In tunnel destruction operations ongoing since January 8 in Syrian operation areas, approximately 85 kilometers of tunnels in the Tel Rifat region and 95 kilometers in the Menbij region have been destroyed.
Regarding Türkiye-US defense relations, Akturk provided details on a recent high-level meeting.
"The Türkiye-United States High-Level Defense Group Meeting was held in Ankara on April 28, with the participation of delegations headed by our Ministry's Director General of Defense and Security and the Acting Deputy Undersecretary for International Security Affairs from the US Department of Defense," he stated.
During the meeting, officials discussed opportunities to develop defense and defense industry cooperation, exchanged views on regional and international security issues, and emphasized determination to further strengthen the strategic partnership. The parties agreed to hold the next meeting in the United States next year.
Akturk noted that efforts to maintain and advance the positive atmosphere recently developed with Greece are continuing through mutual goodwill and dialogue.
"A new round of Confidence Building Measures Meetings between Türkiye and Greece delegations was held in Thessaloniki on April 28," he said. "At the meeting, which took place in a positive atmosphere, previously agreed Confidence Building Measures for 2025 and activities to be included in the 2026 implementation plan were discussed, and it was decided to hold the next meeting in Türkiye."
The spokesperson also detailed ongoing and upcoming military exercises, including the National Anatolian Eagle Training completed between April 14-25, and the Kurtaran exercise in the Eastern Mediterranean with participation from 17 countries. Additionally, several other major exercises are planned throughout May, including EFES-2025 Computer Assisted Command Post, Türkiye-Northern Cyprus Turkish Republic Special Forces Training, and Denizkurdu-II naval exercises.
When questioned about media reports claiming Türkiye had sent weapons to Pakistan, Defense Ministry sources firmly denied the allegations.
"The claim that 'Türkiye sent six planes full of weapons to Pakistan' is not true," ministry sources stated. "A transport aircraft departing from Türkiye landed in Pakistan for refueling purposes, then continued on its designated route."
The sources emphasized that Türkiye is closely following the Pakistan-India tensions with great concern, stressing that the increasing verbal and military tension between the two countries could have consequences threatening not only the people of the region but the entire international community.
The ministry called on India to "act responsibly by avoiding steps that escalate tensions and to act within the framework of international law and diplomacy," while noting that Türkiye understands Pakistan's legitimate security concerns.
Additionally, the ministry denied claims about the use of the term "agent" in defense ministry documents, clarifying that "administrative agent" is a legal term commonly used in literature for those performing public service.
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