At least six Turkish soldiers and six Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants have been killed in heavy fighting in the south-east of the country, the army said Friday.
Two pilots also died after a military helicopter involved in the fighting crashed, although the cause was probably a technical defect, the army added.
Eight soldiers were wounded in the clashes, which broke out early on Friday near a military base in Cukurca by the Iraqi border. Turkish ground forces were supported by F-16 fighter jets, attack helicopters and drones.
The PKK has been fighting for decades for self-determination for the Kurds in Turkey. The conflict escalated last year after a ceasefire was breached, and Turkish forces have been mounting large scale operations against the PKK for months.
On Thursday, four PKK fighters were killed in an explosion near the Kurdish city of Diyarbakir. The Turkish Interior Ministry said the blast occurred when militants were loading explosives onto a stolen vehicle.
The incident came just hours after an apparent car bomb attack targeting security forces in Istanbul.
June 21st, 2026
ALBAWABA - U.S. Vice President JD Vance landed in Switzerland today, June 21, ahead of peace talks to end the war with Iran. Before Vance, an Iranian delegation, led by ...
