Since January 1, 250,000 people have been prevented from entering and leaving Turkey illegally, Turkish National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
He added that a total of 37,000 terrorists have been neutralized within the country, in Northern Iraq and Syria since 2015, and nearly 4,000 terrorists have been neutralized this year.
Minister Akar also emphasized that the target of Turkey’s military operations in neighboring countries is only terrorists.
"The largest, most comprehensive, and most effective land and air operations of the last period, including Operation Claw-Sword" are carried out against terror organizations in northern Iraq and Syria, he said.
In the operation, many shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels and warehouses were destroyed, Akar said, adding that 364 terrorists were neutralized.
Last month, Turkey launched Operation Claw-Sword in northern Iraq and Syria -- a cross-border aerial campaign against the PKK/YPG terror group -- which has illegal hideouts across the Iraqi and Syrian borders where they plan and sometimes execute attacks on Turkey.
Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.
