ERZURUM, Turkey
At least 150 wanted PKK terrorists have been killed during ongoing counterterrorism operations in the last 20 months, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.
The counter-terrorism raids against the PKK terror group, including its senior members mentioned in the ministry’s wanted list, have been ongoing in eastern and southeastern provinces including Tunceli, Sirnak, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Hakkari and Adiyaman.
Security forces carried out airstrikes using helicopters, warplanes and armed aerial vehicles as well as carried out ground operations using artilleries, thermal cameras and armored vehicles.
There is now panic in the terrorist organization due to a decrease in participation and a large number of casualties. The terrorist organization, which cannot find people to carry out its terror activities, has driven the so-called senior people who have not entered into armed operations for many years.
The weeks-long counter-terrorism operations have dealt heavy blows on the terrorist group and its so-called regional heads and senior members -- some of them, who were mentioned in the interior ministry’s wanted list, have been killed.
Nearly 150 so-called senior members were killed during these operations between Sep.1, 2016 and April 30, 2018.
The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.
Hulya Eroglu, also known by her code name Gulbahar, was among 31 terrorists killed during a counterterrorism operation in Bestler-Dereler region of the southeastern province of Sirnak.
The perpetrator of a terrorist attack in the Kutudere district of southeastern Tunceli province, which claimed the lives of a police officer Cem Kerman and his wife Dilay Turan Kerman six years ago, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in the province in March 2017. The terrorist was in the grey list.
Operations in Bingol, Diyarbakir
At least 10 PKK terrorists were killed in March as part of anti-terror operations in eastern Bingol and southeastern Diyarbakir provinces.
Among the terrorists killed was Edip Yetut, code-named Erhan Siser, who was wanted by the security forces in green category.
Iranian national Salar Acem codenamed Saro was among 40 terrorists killed in Sirnak in April 2017.
Another senior member, Ahmet Tekin, codenamed Bahoz, was killed in an operation in eastern Bitlis province in April last year.
Mehmet Fudeyil codenamed Roni was in grey category and was among seven terrorists killed in Tunceli in May last year. Akif Albay codenamed Roger Helbis was also killed in Diyarbakir.
Another senior member Azat Cungus codenamed Gurbuz Topcu was killed in a counterterrorism operation in southeastern Kahramanmaras province in August last year along with five other terrorists.
Zozan Cudi codenamed Zozan Temir was killed during an airstrike in Sirnak on Nov. 15, 2017. Temir had been shown by the western media outlets as YPJ member fighting against Daesh.
In another operation in Tunceli, Murat Dag codenamed Ferhat Yilmaz was killed on Dec. 16, 2017. He had been sought in red category.
A senior PKK member Murat Ucer codenamed Eylul was among those killed in Diyarbakir along with another regional head of the terrorist group, Veli Taskiran.
Iranian, Syrian among dead
An Iranian national terrorist codenamed “Agit”, who was later identified as having prepared a terrorist attack last June that killed Senay Aybuke Yalcin, a 22-year-old music teacher, was killed in Batman on March 22.
Medeni Sayilgan codenamed Panzer Kemal and Seyithan Sinet who were on the "red list”, Mehmet Reber Cetin codenamed Soro Ahmed, Masallah Malazgirt codenamed Harun Munzur from the grey list were killed in Tunceli on April 5.
The airstrikes in Hakurk-Kani Rash region on March 21 killed another senior PKK member Birdal Burhanli codenamed Agiri Mazlum Pirdogan, who was in the red category.
Seyithan Sinet codenamed Wedat Amed was among six terrorists killed in an operation in Amanos Mountains in Hatay.
Sinet orchestrated many terror acts in the mountains.
Another senior PKK terrorist, Yusuf Sek codenamed Yasar, who was mentioned in the red list, was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in eastern Erzurum province.
He was identified among 15 terrorists killed during operations conducted in Agri Mountain region in eastern Turkey on April 7.
Syrian national Sultan Mahmut and Seyran Comak, who were regional heads of the PKK, were also killed during the same operation.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. In its over three-decade terror campaign against Turkey, more than 40,000 people have been killed. Since the group resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.
Reporting by Yunus Okur; Writing by Sibel Ugurlu
