Türkiye says 188 caught at borders in past week, including 5 terrorists

The Turkish National Defense Ministry said Thursday that 188 people, including five identified as members of terrorist organizations, were apprehended while attempting to cross Türkiye’s borders in the past week.

Since Jan. 1, a total of 7,177 individuals have been detained for illegal border crossing attempts, ministry spokesman Zeki Akturk told reporters during a weekly press briefing held at the Bogazkoy Martyrs’ Cemetery in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Akturk reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to protecting the rights of Turkish Cypriots under the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee and Alliance, emphasizing the nation’s guiding principle of “one nation, two states, one heart.”

“The only definitive solution on the island is recognition of the sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriot people,” he said. “We will continue to take all necessary measures against destabilizing activities by the Greek Cypriot Administration.”

- International missions

Providing updates on Türkiye’s international military roles, Akturk said a Turkish reserve battalion deployed to Kosovo in late September officially assumed duties on Oct. 1 as part of NATO’s peacekeeping mission. Türkiye will take over command of NATO’s Kosovo Force from Italy on Friday.

Additionally, a Turkish maritime patrol aircraft was deployed to Dakar on Oct. 1, at Senegal’s request, to provide training and operational support in search and rescue and maritime surveillance, he said.

- Ongoing fight against terrorism

Akturk also highlighted Türkiye’s ongoing fight against terrorism in northern Iraq and Syria. Turkish forces have seized and destroyed weapons and materials found in terrorist hideouts, while in Syria’s Tel Rifaat and Manbij regions, tunnels totaling 642 kilometers in length have been neutralized, he said.

He added that with a multi-layered border security system in place, Turkish forces also prevented 735 illegal crossings in the past week, bringing the total number of blocked attempts this year to 51,876.

In addition, he shared that approximately 118 kilograms of narcotics were seized during search operations along Türkiye’s eastern border with Iran, near the province of Van.