Turkish intelligence “neutralizes” senior wanted PKK militant in N. Iraq

ANKARA, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) — Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) “neutralized” a senior member of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in an operation in northern Iraq, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported Thursday, quoting anonymous Turkish security sources.
Serkan Nazlier, who was listed in Türkiye’s most-wanted “red category” list, was allegedly PKK’s leader in Türkiye’s southeastern Hakkari province.
Nazlier, known by the codename “Sefkan Amed,” was located in Iraq’s Hakurk region when the Turkish security forces conducted the operation, the report said, without specifying the time frame of the operation.
The militant was allegedly involved in the planning of some “terror attacks” in Türkiye, including a rocket attack in 2019 on a Turkish Armed Forces base in northern Iraq, and was responsible for recruiting and directing the group members to carry out “terror” acts, it said.
Türkiye’s wanted list categorizes suspects by color, with red representing the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange, and gray.
Turkish authorities often use the term “neutralize” in their statements to imply the alleged terrorists have either surrendered, been killed, or been captured.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
Türkiye regularly conducts military operations in northern Iraq, where the group has headquarters and hideouts.
On Wednesday, at least five people were killed and 22 others wounded in a terrorist attack at the production facility of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. in the Turkish capital Ankara, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Two attackers, identified by Yerlikaya as members of the PKK, were also killed during the assault. ■