Arrested PKK suspects 'planning attack' in south Turkey

By Eren Bozkurt

ADANA, Turkey

Two suspected senior PKK terrorists have been arrested in southern Turkey, police said Thursday.

One of the suspects, identified by the initials S.D., is the head of PKK operations in the southern Mediterranean region, a police official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The suspect’s fingerprints were found on bomb-making materials in Istanbul, the official added.

Y.B., said to be a senior PKK operative in the southern port city of Mersin, and S.D. had been planning a bomb attack in the province.

The official did not say when or where the pair were arrested or give any further details of their capture or the planned attack.

However, the official said S.D. arrived in Adana province on Monday and met Y.B.

Meanwhile, four of 13 suspects, who were detained on Monday in the northwestern Tekirdag and the eastern Erzurum provinces, have been remanded in custody for their alleged links to PKK group.

They are also accused of "making terror propaganda on social media" and "insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan".

In the eastern province of Kars, three of 10 people apprehended by anti-terror branch units have been remanded in custody over their alleged links to the terrorist group.

In separate operations, one terrorist was neutralized in a counter-terrorism operation in southeastern province of Diyarbakir. Three more terrorists, who were fleeing northern Iraq, surrendered to security forces in the southeastern Sirnak province.

The Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question were either killed or captured.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.

- Vedat Yucebas in Tekirdag and Cuneyt Celik in Kars contributed to this report