Turkey struggles to combat ISIL and PKK insurgencies

World Today

The Turkish government has been battling the Kurdish militant group, the PKK, since 1984. Tens of thousands have been killed over the decades. Now, Turkey is facing a new threat: ISIL. Ankara is also facing criticism from the international community for not doing enough to combat the jihadists.

CCTV’s Natalie Carney reports from Turkey.

The military killed 32 PKK terrorists in the country’s southeast over the weekend, while counter terrorism units arrested thirty-three suspected ISIL extremists in Istanbul and the southern province of Adana.

Meanwhile, new information reveals that 450 ISIL fighters have been recruited in the capital Ankara and the interior ministry acknowledges that there are likely thousands more, planning attacks on Turkey and abroad.