Free Republic

Twelve Turkish soldiers have died after being exposed to methane gas while searching a cave in northern Iraq, the Turkish Ministry of National Defence said. At least 19 personnel were exposed to the gas during the search and clear operation on Sunday, and immediately taken to hospital. By Monday, 12 had died, the ministry said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he received the news with "great sorrow" and extended his condolences to the soldiers' families and to the Turkish Armed Forces. Methane gas is not directly toxic, but can be deadly as it can become suffocating, especially in tight, enclosed...

The PKK terrorist organization has come to the brink of collapse thanks to the Turkish army’s continued military operations, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on April 19, while vowing that the anti-terror fight will endure determinately. “The collapse of the terrorist organizations PKK/PYD and YPG, which are no different from each other, is accelerating as a result of our determined struggle, with their ringleaders now openly expressing their organization’s disintegration,” Akar said, speaking at a conference in the northwestern province of Bursa. Akar said that they observed this “disintegration” in the walkie-talkie conversations of PKK members during the recent Operation...