ANKARA

The Turkish armed forces and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) on Friday neutralized the PKK terrorist who was behind the killing of a Turkish diplomat in northern Iraq last week.

According to security sources, the operation against terrorist Erdogan Unal -- codenamed Dogan Nurhak -- was held on Wednesday on Mount Qandil, northern Iraq.

Unal was found to be one of the five members of the terror group's so-called intelligence council, which is directly linked to its so-called executive council.

He joined the organization in 1990, and was caught and imprisoned between 1994 and 1998.

Last week, Osman Kose, who was serving at Turkey's Consulate General in Erbil, was martyred in an armed attack at a restaurant. Apart from the diplomat, two Iraqi nationals sitting at the next table were also killed.

Turkish authorities often use "neutralized" in statements to imply terrorists in question surrendered, were killed or captured.

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 deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

* Writing by Dilara Hamit