Kurdistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss Syria and Libya, an official statement said on Dec. 29.

According to the statement issued by Turkey's Directorate of Communications, the two leaders also addressed the bilateral relations and regional developments.

Turkey on Dec. 29 praised British judicial authorities for the detention of the father of a YPG/PKK terrorist organization volunteer on charges of bankrolling terrorism.

Hami Aksoy, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Turkey welcomed the detention of Paul Newey as well as the reasoning behind the arrest.

A district mayor in southeastern Diyarbakır has been arrested over alleged links to terrorist organizations, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Dec. 23.

A local mayor in southeastern Turkey from an opposition party accused of terrorist ties was arrested over alleged links to an armed terror group, security sources said on Dec. 23.

Four PKK/YPG terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces, the Interior Ministry announced on Dec. 22.

Three terrorists were convinced by Turkish forces. Another fled the terror group and surrendered to the Turkish forces in the southeastern province of Şırnak.

A district mayor in southeastern Diyarbakır has been suspended from her position over alleged links to terrorist organizations, the provincial governor's office said on Dec. 21.

Turkish police detained the mayor of a central district in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır and two members of the district assembly on Dec. 20.

Sur Mayor Filiz Buluttekin from the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) stands accused of being a member of the PKK/YPG terrorist organization, making terrorist propaganda and insulting the Turkish state and nation.

The U.S. has sent a group of experts to Syria's biggest oil field in Deir ez-Zor province currently under the occupation of the YPG/PKK terror group, in hopes of increasing production.

Egyptian and Saudi experts, who were tasked by the U.S. with enhancing oil production at al-Omar oil field, arrived in the region on Dec. 13, according to local sources.

Turkey found a mine warfare training and storage facility belonging to YPG/PKK terrorist organization during search and sweep operations in northern Syria, said the Defense Ministry on Nov. 10.

Revenues from northeastern Syria's oil fields will be directed to the YPG/PKK-led SDF, the U.S. said on Nov. 7.

Turkish army dispatched humanitarian aid to the needy local people of Ras al-Ayn city in northern Syria recently rescued from the YPG/PKK terror group, National Defense Ministry said on Nov. 5.