PodcastInterior Ministry: PKK might exchange substantial amount of dollars for food storage ahead of winter
Turkish Interior Ministry has sent a circular to 32 governors' offices warning them that PKK militants might be preparing to exchange a substantial amount of foreign currencies with Turkish liras to buy food and survival supplies for storage as part of their winter preparation plans.
Duvar English
The Turkish Interior Ministry on Aug. 11 said that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants might exchange a substantial amount of foreign currencies with Turkish liras to buy winter supplies before they withdraw to mountains.
The ministry said that it sent its written notifications regarding the issue to governors' offices of 32 provinces in eastern and southeastern Turkey.
The ministry said that it asked the local authorities to warn police officers, sellers, grocery stores, shopkeepers that PKK militants “might buy food and survival supplies such as flour, canned goods, halva, jams, gas tubes in an attention-grabbing amount and might change foreign currencies (dollar etc.) in a high amount.”
The ministry also asked the local authorities to undertake “a detailed inspection” of vans and minibuses especially in suburban areas to see if these vehicles are carrying survival goods to the PKK militants.
“Focus will be given to intelligence works against the activities of the separatist terrorist organization [PKK] and members of the separatist terror organization and its extensions will be prevented from acquiring food supplies and survival goods,” the ministry said.