Türkiye Says It Killed 12 Kurdish Militants in Northern Iraq

Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are seen on a road in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, on June 22, 2018. (AFP)
Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are seen on a road in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, on June 22, 2018. (AFP)
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Türkiye Says It Killed 12 Kurdish Militants in Northern Iraq

Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are seen on a road in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, on June 22, 2018. (AFP)
Members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are seen on a road in the Qandil Mountains, the PKK headquarters in northern Iraq, on June 22, 2018. (AFP)

Türkiye’s military has "neutralized" 12 militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Türkiye, which typically uses the term "neutralized" to mean killed, has been carrying out a cross-border operation called Claw-Lock in Iraq as part of the country's offensive against PKK militants.

The PKK, which has been waging an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, is designated a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.



Palestinian Prime Minister Says Palestinian Authority Should Run Gaza in Future

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide attend a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-State Solution at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. (Heiko Junge/NTB/via Reuters)
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide attend a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-State Solution at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. (Heiko Junge/NTB/via Reuters)
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Palestinian Prime Minister Says Palestinian Authority Should Run Gaza in Future

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide attend a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-State Solution at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. (Heiko Junge/NTB/via Reuters)
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammed Mustafa and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide attend a meeting of the Global Alliance for the implementation of the two-State Solution at Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, January 15, 2025. (Heiko Junge/NTB/via Reuters)

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said it “will not be acceptable” for any entity other than the Palestinian Authority to run the Gaza Strip in the future.

Mustafa made the comments on Wednesday as he visited Norway, one of three European countries that formally recognized a Palestinian state in May.

Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007, confining the Palestinian Authority’s limited self-rule to parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The US has called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern both the West Bank and Gaza ahead of eventual statehood, which the Israeli government opposes.

“While we’re waiting for the ceasefire, it’s important to stress that it will not be acceptable for any entity to govern Gaza Strip but the legitimate Palestinian leadership and the government of the State of Palestine," Mustafa said.

He added that “any attempt to consolidate the separation between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, or creating transitional entities, will be rejected.”

Mustafa stressed that “we should not leave Gaza to vacuum ... We are the government of Palestine, ready to hold our responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as we did before.”