Surrendered female terrorist: PKK forced me to fight

ANKARA

A female terrorist who surrendered to security forces has said that the PKK forced her to fight against Turkey.

According to a video released by the Turkish Armed Forces on Wednesday, Zehra K. is among 25 terrorists who surrendered to the Turkish army Tuesday in Mardin’s Nusaybin district.

In another video where she meets her parents she says: "My biggest mistake was to be fooled by the PKK. Because the PKK is burning both the Republic of Turkey and the Kurdish nation. So what I want to say to young people is that the organization [PKK] forced me into this but what I understand [now] is that they should take refuge in the state.

"Personally I did not have any hope. We surrendered ourselves; if it was me I would fire bullets, but the state opened its arms to us even in a process like this, even in an environment like this. The state gave me every chance and never forced me to do anything. They treated me as best as they can. They treated me in a way they should not."

On May 16, in operations in Nusaybin, security forces found a notebook belonging to Zehra K. in which she admits making a mistake in joining the PKK. Then the notebook was handed to her parents and her father said she should surrender.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S., and the EU -- resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, more than 480 members of the security forces, including troops, police officers, and village guards, have been martyred, and over 4,900 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.