Turkish serviceman killed in northern Iraq anti-terror operation

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) - A Turkish soldier was killed during an ongoing anti-terror operation in northern Iraq, Turkiye’s National Defense Ministry said on Monday.

“Our courageous brother-in-arms, infantry specialist sergeant Ramazan Gok was martyred,” said the ministry in a statement.

The ministry extended condolences to Gok’s family, as well as the Turkish nation.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target PKK hideouts in Iraq’s Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions. It came after Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020, to root out terrorists who hide in northern Iraq and plot cross-border attacks in Turkiye.

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