Yunus Okur
03 July 2021•Update: 03 July 2021
ERZURUM, Turkey
A total of 98 YPG/PKK terrorists were neutralized in June by Turkish security forces in domestic and cross-border operations.
Turkish authorities often use "neutralize" in statements to imply that the terrorist in question surrendered, was killed or captured.
Counter-terrorism operations were conducted throughout the month by Turkish Armed Forces as well as the General Directorate of Security, Gendarmerie and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), according to information compiled by Anadolu Agency.
Inflicting a heavy blow to the PKK terror group with back-to-back successful operations, security forces also detained 104 PKK terror suspects -- 30 were later arrested.
Additionally, the number of PKK terror group members who surrendered to security forces through persuasion efforts in 2021, rose to 94 as of June 30.
Senior YPG/PKK terrorists neutralized
Security forces dealt a heavy blow to the YPG/PKK terror group by neutralizing senior terrorists.
In a successful operation by MIT on June 5 in the Makhmur camp under PKK/KCK control in northern Iraq, senior PKK operative Selman Bozkir, codenamed Doctor Huseyin, who was acting as general manager of the camp, was neutralized.
As part of Operation Eren-1, three PKK terrorists were neutralized June 5 in a rural area in the Baskale district of Van province.
Among the terrorists was Gokhan Demir, codenamed Agit, who was on the grey category of the Interior Ministry’s wanted list and was the head of the terror group in Baskale.
Demir was among the perpetrators of a terror attack in the Ozalp district in Van on May 15, 2020.
A municipal employee and a civilian were killed and another municipal employee was injured in the attack that targeted a vehicle of the Vefa Social Support Group.
Wanted PKK terrorist, Hasan Adir, alias Salih Cizre, was neutralized in June in an operation led by MIT.
Following a period of surveillance, MIT conducted a surgical strike near the Makhmur camp -- which serves as a recruitment and training area for the PKK -- to neutralize the terrorist, who was sought by Interpol on a red notice, responsible for activities in Makhmur.
Samet Icyer, codenamed Zerdast-Navdar, was another senior terrorist neutralized in June.
Neutralized in Turkey’s eastern Bitlis province as part of Eren-11 anti-terror operation, Icyer was in the orange category of the Interior Ministry's wanted list.
Turkish intelligence-backed ops deals heavy blow to PKK
Senior terrorist Islam Biliz, codenamed Siyar Erzurum, was nabbed in an operation carried by MIT and gendarmerie forces.
The terrorist was on the grey category of the Interior Ministry’s wanted list and was captured in an operation on the Turkey-Iran border near Armenia.
Ulas Dogan, a PKK terrorist on Interpol and Turkey's Interior Ministry's red category of its wanted terrorist list, was "neutralized" in an operation in Iraq's northern province of Sulaymaniyah.
The MIT had prior information about Dogan, alias Ulas Dersim, who was planning a terror attack against Turkey in northern Iraq.
Dogan was neutralized by the MIT in Qalat Dizah of Sulaymaniyah shortly after arriving in the region.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
