Traitor terrorists targeting future of Turkey: Turkish PM

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said that Turkey's fight against terrorism will continue determinedly in his speech in Turkey's province of Elazığ, where a car-bomb attack was conducted by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that left three police officers martyred.

"Three policemen were martyred and 217 people were wounded as an explosive-laden vehicle was detonated near the main road. Seventy-two of the total wounded were discharged from the hospital, while 145 of them are still being treated in five different hospitals. Eighty-five of the total wounded are policemen, while 60 are civilians," PM Yıldırım said. PM Yıldırım also said that two policemen and 14 civilians are in serious conditions.

Yıldırım said that the traitor terrorist groups have been targeting the future of Turkey by conducting attacks in many Turkish cities.

"After the foiled coup bid of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), now it is the PKK's turn to attack Turkey. The (terrorist activity) duty is transferred to the PKK from FETÖ. The cooperation of all these terrorist organizations is obvious," Yıldırım said.

"These groups are not domestic organizations. However, they will continue fighting against them regardless. No terrorist group will defeat Turkey, “the PM said.

"We have raised the state of alarm to a higher level," he said at the scene of the attack, where a crowd chanted "Damn the PKK!"

A powerful blast occurred at the police headquarters on Thursday, Aug. 18, in eastern Turkey's province of Elazığ as terrorists exploded a bomb-laden car in front of the building. Yıldırım cancelled his schedule and arrived in Elazığ in a few hours after the incident.

Meanwhile, four soldiers were killed and seven others were injured in a terrorist attack that hit an armored military vehicle in the southeastern province of Bitlis.

The PKK, which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, had resumed its attacks in southeastern Turkey last summer after breaking a two-year-long ceasefire deal.

At least 7,600 terrorists have been killed by Turkish forces since July of last year, when the PKK ended the cease-fire with Ankara and resumed terrorist activities.