Turkey arrests PKK arms supplier behind 2017 terrorist attack

By Meric Urer

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces arrested a Syrian national who supplied grenades, explosives and rifle cartridges used by PKK terrorists in a gun assault and car bombing on a courthouse in Turkey’s city of Izmir more than four years ago, security sources said Tuesday.

Delil Hiso, codenamed Delil Azzo, was detained in Izmir on Oct. 4 as part of an investigation carried out by the Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

He was referred to the courthouse for the crime of "disrupting the unity of the state and the integrity of the country."

It was also determined that the suspect participated in an attack on an armored police vehicle in 2015 in Nusaybin district of Mardin province and three bomb attacks against security forces.

- 2017 attack

The terrorist attack in Izmir took place on Jan. 5, 2017 just outside the main courthouse when police officer Fethi Sekin stopped a suspicious vehicle that turned out to be carrying explosives, preventing many more deaths.

Realizing that he had foiled a terrorist plot, Sekin opened fire on the terrorists, triggering a firefight between them and security forces.

Sekin, who only had a pistol, ran after two of the terrorists who were wielding automatic rifles. He managed to shoot one of them but ran out of ammunition. He was killed as he tried to take cover.

The clash and car bombing left Sekin and court official Musa Can dead and nine others wounded.

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

*Writing and contribution by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara