ANKARA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have detained nine drug traffickers with links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the southern Mersin city of Türkiye, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.
The suspects were involved in drug trafficking, which is their source of finance, and attempted to recruit members for the PKK, said the report.
The police said they have identified 19 suspects in the organized crime organization and are still searching for the 10 others.
About 350 police participated in the dawn operations, supported by drones, the agency reported.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than 30 years. ■
