ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Turkish authorities received two female militants linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party after their arrest by Iranian forces at a border crossing.
Iranian forces seized two female members of the PKK near a border crossing along the shared southern border with Turkey. Iran handed the militants over to Turkish authorities Monday, Turkey's English-language daily Hurriyet reports.
The PKK and its affiliates in the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan, or PJAK, have fought Iranian and Turkish security forces for years.
Iranian and Turkish military forces battled PKK guerrillas along the southern border in December, killing nine in the skirmish.
Tensions along the southeastern border of Turkey have escalated in recent weeks as the government cracks down on pro-Kurdish groups in the area.
The mayor of the border city of Diyarbakir was prohibited from leaving the country last week when court officials accused him of delivering a speech in support of the PKK in December.
Ankara insists it is pushing for a political solution to end years of conflict with the Kurdish minority while moving to control terrorist activity as well.
Pressure against pro-Kurdish sentiment, however, caused several lawmakers to question the seriousness of the reforms.
