'PKK funding chief' appears in court in Turkey

By Aziz Aslan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - The alleged head of financing for the PKK terrorist organization has been arrested and brought before a court in the country’s southeast, a judicial official said late Thursday.

Murat Yilmaz was remanded in custody accused of membership of a terrorist organization when he appeared in court in Diyarbakir, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

He is also charged with collecting and transferring money to the terror group and managing its flow of finances, the official added.

Yilmaz is said to have organized PKK funding and was arrested by gendarmes in Diyarbakir on an unspecified date after the Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor's office issued an arrest warrant.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU. During its 33-year terror campaign against Turkey, more than 40,000 people have lost their lives.

Since the PKK resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.