Turkey ‘neutralized’ 212 PKK terrorists in August

By Yunus Okur

ERZURUM, Turkey (AA) – Turkish security forces “neutralized” 212 PKK terrorists during domestic and cross-border operations in August.

According to information compiled by Anadolu Agency, the counter-terrorism operations were carried out by Turkish soldiers, police, gendarmerie, and the intelligence teams.

Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralize” in statements to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered, or were killed or captured.

Security forces arrested 156 PKK terror suspects last month, with 30 of them later remanded into custody.

Additionally, 141 PKK terrorists have surrendered to Turkish security forces through persuasion efforts this year as of end-August.

- Senior PKK terrorists neutralized

Among the terrorists neutralized were senior PKK members.

Suleyman Ozturk, codenamed Cilo, was neutralized in an air-backed operation by local gendarmerie teams in the southeastern Mardin province.

He was inscribed on Turkey’s wanted terrorists list.

Suheyla Celik, codenamed Nuda Sason, was neutralized in the eastern Van province during the reconnaissance and surveillance mission of the special operations police.

Celik was the head of the terror group in the eastern Tendurek region.

Haldun Altay, another terrorist neutralized, was among the perpetrators of the attack that killed a police officer in the eastern Agri province on May 13.

- PKK’s so-called executive council member neutralized

Hasan Said Hasan, the so-called head of the PKK branch operating in Sinjar, Iraq, was neutralized in an operation conducted by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization.

Hasan was found to have been organizing the transfer of PKK members between Syria and Iraq, as well as the arms and ammunition shipment of the terror group.

Furthermore, he was working for the recruitment of young Edizi people for the PKK terror group. Hassan was a member of the so-called executive council of the PKK/KCK and was on Iraq's wanted list for his separatist activities.

- Senior PKK terrorists arrested

Sonuc Gurdegir, cadenamed Rodi Cevlik, was nabbed by Turkish security forces in an Istanbul place where he was hiding. The terrorist was on Turkey’s wanted list.

Gurdegir had been wanted for 11 different charges. He was among the terrorists that carried an attack in the eastern Bingol province in 2014 which killed two security guards, and a 2016 attack leaving seven police officers dead.

Hatun Dagtas, codenamed Lilit Amed, was arrested in the southeastern Diyarbakir province by police. A senior PKK terror group member, she was on Turkey’s wanted terrorists list.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.