Turkish intelligence 'neutralizes' senior PKK terrorist in northern Iraq

By Yildiz Nevin Gundogmus

ANKARA (AA) – Turkish intelligence forces have “neutralized” a so-called senior member of the PKK terror group in northern Iraq, security sources said on Thursday.

Hatice Hezer, codenamed Berivan Zilan, was part of the HPG, the military wing of the terrorist group, in 2008, said the sources, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

She was tracked down by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in Iraq’s northern Sulaymaniyah region.

Hezer joined the PKK in 1991 and became the leader of the terror group’s women’s wing in Armenia in 2004.

She was involved with the HPG in 2008 and went on to be the terrorist organization’s so-called Syria official in 2017, the sources said.

She is the younger sister of Tugba Hezer Ozturk, a former lawmaker of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) for the eastern Van province, while her brother was also “neutralized” in a clash with Turkish security forces in 1998.

- Syria operation

Turkish forces “neutralized” four YPG/PKK terrorists in northern Syria, authorities said on Thursday.

The terrorists were targeted during an attempt to attack the Operation Peace Spring and Operation Euphrates Shield zones, the National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

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

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, UK and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.​​​​​​​