UPDATE - Wanted PKK terrorist 'neutralized' in eastern Turkey

ADDS NEW DETAILS

By Jeyhun Aliyev

ANKARA (AA) - A wanted PKK terrorist has been "neutralized" in eastern Turkey, the country's interior minister said on Thursday.

Ismail Surgec, codenamed Yilmaz, was in the red category of Interior Ministry's wanted terrorists list, and was neutralized in an operation in the Ahpanos Valley of Tunceli province, Suleyman Soylu said on Twitter.

The terrorist was the so-called person in charge of the province, Soylu added.

The minister also congratulated the "heroic" security forces over the successful operation.

The Interior Ministry said that Surgec was one of the two armed terrorists who were neutralized on Nov.10 by the provincial gendarmerie forces as part of Operation Yildirim-4.

On Wednesday, the ministry announced that at least two terrorists were targeted in an air-backed operation in rural areas of the Ahpanos Valley.

The wanted terrorist plotted, ordered and took part in many terrorist attacks since 2007 -- including assaults martyring Turkish security forces, planting mines, torching cars, making terrorist propaganda, and blocking the roads and traffic.

The terrorist was wanted with a bounty of up to 10 million Turkish liras (nearly $1.3 million) on his head, said the statement from the provincial governor's office.

Security forces also seized a number of weapons and ammunitions along with the documents related to the terror group in the area, it added.

"Efforts to find and neutralize terrorist elements in our province are carried out with determination," said the written statement.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered, were killed or captured.

Turkey’s wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange, and gray.

The country this summer launched a series of security operations to neutralize terrorists believed to be hiding out in the country’s eastern and southeastern regions.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.