ANKARA 

Turkish security forces neutralized a wanted PKK terrorist during a counterterrorism operation in the eastern Turkish province of Tunceli, the country’s Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The word “neutralized” is used to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

Ibrahim Coban, codenamed Atakan Mahir, was a terrorist included in the Turkish Interior Ministry’s red category of wanted terrorists, the ministry said in a statement.

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

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people.

Reporting by Merve Yildizalp:Writing by Sadik Kedir Abdu