FETO has passed on its mission to the PKK: Turkish PM

By Yildiz Aktas

ELAZIG, Turkey

In the wake of the defeated July 15 coup, the terror cult FETO is working with the separatist PKK, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Thursday on the heels of a trio of deadly PKK attacks in Turkey’s east and southeast.

“FETO [the Fetullah Terrorist Organization] has lost its claim after the July 15 failed coup attempt, and has handed off its mission to the separatist terrorist organization," he said.

Thursday morning three police officers were martyred and 217 others were wounded in a PKK car-bomb attack on a police station in the eastern province of Elazig, he said, visiting the scene of the strike, which followed attacks in Van and in Hakkari.

The attack took place “right across from the police building by the side of the main road," he said.

Yildirim said that 72 of the wounded have been discharged from hospital after treatment, adding that treatment of the 145 remaining wounded, including 85 police officers and 60 civilians, continues in five hospitals.

"The number of seriously wounded people is 20, and among those, our two police officers’ wounds are more serious," he added.

Yildirim was accompanied by Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, Defense Minister Fikri Isik, Interior Minister Efkan Ala, and Health Minister Recep Akdag, and a delegation from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council has banned all broadcasts about the deadly attack in the interest of public safety and an ongoing police investigation.

Yildirim said that the fight against the PKK will continue until Turkey is rid of it. "No terrorist organization can wrestle with Turkey, no terrorist organization can never, but never, take this nation."

"These traitor organizations try to darken Turkey's future... They do not have any national or native motive. One of the most important issues of the local community is the separatist terrorist organization. So we will get this separatist terrorist organization out, we and our local community, and we will move together towards Turkey's future journey, shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand."

-Van, Hakkari attacks

The blast in Elazig came hours after two other terrorist attacks hit the eastern city of Van and Hakkari, a province in southeastern Turkey.

Three people, including a police officer, died in the Van attack, which also injured over 70 people.

Van Governor Ibrahim Tasyapan said PKK terrorists detonated a car bomb near a police station in the city's Ipekyolu district shortly after 11.00 p.m. (2000GMT) local time Wednesday.

Tasyapan said a suspect was caught shortly after the attack and confirmed that many buildings in the area had been damaged.

In Hakkari, two police officers were hurt Thursday in an attack by the PKK, said a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media.

The source told Anadolu Agency the officers were wounded when PKK terrorists opened fire on police headquarters in the province’s Semdinli district.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU – resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, more than 600 security personnel have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists have been killed.

* Emin Avundukluoglu contributed to this story from Ankara.