UPDATE - Turkish forces neutralize PKK terrorist wanted by Interpol

ADDS MORE DETAILS

By Burak Bir and Aykut Karadag

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security forces neutralized two PKK terrorists, one of whom was wanted by Interpol, the country's interior minister said on Monday.

Suleyman Soylu wrote on Twitter that Necati Utku Kiraz, codenamed Azat Kendal, was on the orange category of Türkiye's wanted list, and also wanted by Interpol, as he was the plotter of numerous terror-related crimes.

The interior minister said that after a protracted period of his monitoring, the terrorist was neutralized by intelligence, local police, and gendarmerie units in southeastern province of Diyarbakir.

According to the Interior Ministry, Kiraz's name was linked to the horrific bomb attack in March 2016 at Guvenpark in Ankara's Kizilay -- a busy shopping area and a major public transportation hub -- that killed 38 people and injured 349 others, using an explosive-laden vehicle.

He was also a part of the group responsible for the rocket attack on the Hezan military base in Diyarbakir in 2019 as well as a roadside bomb blast in eastern Bingol province last year.

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

Another terrorist was also neutralized along with Kiraz, Soylu added.

Turkish forces use the term "neutralize" to indicate the terrorist in question either surrendered or was killed or captured.

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