End of PKK activity in Turkey 'near', premier says

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım stated that Turkey’s counterterrorism operations were yielding significant success on Friday during an Evaluation Meeting on Public Security and Fighting Terrorism in the General Command of Gendarmerie.

“We can easily say this: There is no possibility for the PKK terrorist organization to recover. The end of the terrorist organization's activities inside Turkey is very near,” said Yıldırım.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.

In its more than three-decade terror campaign against Turkey, more than 40,000 people, including women and children have been killed.

Since the group resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.

“We sent back over 50,000 foreign fighters trying to enter our country. We captured over 5,000 Daesh terrorists,” Yıldırım said.

“Security forces stationed across the nation are conducting operations to destroy all threats,” he added.

He also acknowledged that some innocent people could get defamed by the PKK.

"Unfortunately, since the organization [PKK] does not have any sacred values.... it can defame innocent people as group members. We are aware of this."

He said the Turkish security forces’ fight against PKK terrorism last year had turned into an "epic" struggle.

Yıldırım also said the number of projects overseen by the defense sector had increased to 553 from 66.

“The total value of these projects amounted to over $60 billion.”

The annual turnover of the Turkish defense industry topped $6 billion in recent years from $1 billion, he added.

Yıldırım said three out of 100 leading defense companies in the world were Turkish companies, adding that the country should become self-sufficient in the sector.