Turkey neutralizes PKK terrorist on wanted list

By Muhammed Ali Toruntay

ANKARA (AA) - A wanted PKK terrorist with a large bounty on his head was "neutralized" in eastern Turkey, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorist in question either surrendered of was killed or captured.

Terrorist Ali Akbas, codenamed Zinar Amed, was killed in operations carried out by counterterrorism and special operations units of the local police in the eastern Mus province on Tuesday, said the ministry in a statement.

Ali Akbas was on the ministry’s wanted terrorists list with a bounty of 300,000 Turkish liras (around $57,000) on his head, the statement said.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey as well as the U.S. and the EU. In its terror campaign against Turkey, which lasted for more than three decades, over 40,000 people have been killed, including women and children.