The Turkish Interior Ministry announced that police arrested 98 individuals on Monday who are suspected of having connections to the banned PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), with most accused of promoting the party on social media. In a statement, the ministry noted that the suspects were detained in simultaneous operations across 18 regions, with most arrests occurring in southeastern areas.
Separately, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that authorities destroyed 63 shelters, caves, and storage facilities used by PKK fighters in six regions. Yerlikaya indicated that "these locations, prepared by the terrorist organization for logistical purposes and to conduct operations during the winter months, were identified and destroyed one by one," adding that many weapons, munitions, and equipment were seized during the raids.
The PKK, labeled a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and Turkey, has been engaged in armed conflict with the Turkish state since 1984, resulting in the deaths of over 40,000 people. Ankara frequently conducts airstrikes and cross-border operations against the PKK, which has bases in the northern mountains of Iraq, and regularly undertakes operations against individuals connected to it locally.