Turkey's fight against terror gains historic results - Erdogan

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country has made history in its fight against terror groups under the rule of the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party.

"Turkey has gained historic results against terror groups, gangs and drug dealers, and any other action targeting peace in our term [since 2002]," Erdogan said in an address to AK Party's parliamentary group in capital, Ankara.

To date, 2,000 people have been arrested, 7,000 others deported and around 70,000 people denied entry to Turkey over their links to the Daesh terror group, Erdogan said.

"[They include] 761 terrorists in the country, 1,092 in northern Iraq, 3,000 in Operation Euphrates Shield, and over 4,500 in Operation Olive Branch were neutralised in the operations since July 2016," he said.

Launched in 2016, Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield saw Turkish troops, backed by the Free Syrian Army, liberate large swathes of northwestern Syria from terrorist groups.

On January 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to free northwestern Syrian city of Afrin of YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists. 

On March 18, Turkish troops and the Free Syrian Army liberated the Afrin city centre.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children. 

The YPG is its Syrian branch.