Terrorists wanted in Turkey 'neutralized'

ANKARA

Turkish security forces neutralized eight PKK terrorists, including two wanted terrorists in the country’s east, the country’s Interior Ministry said on Friday.

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

In a statement, the ministry said the terrorists were neutralized when provincial gendarmerie forces conducted an operation in the Catak and Gurpinar districts of Van province on Oct. 8-10.

Ferhat Bozkurt, codenamed Arges Ciya, who was in the orange category of the ministry’s wanted list and had a bounty of 600,000 Turkish liras ($104,208) on his head, was one of the terrorists neutralized.

Ali Yenice, codenamed Ali Miksi, who was neutralized in the operation, was in the gray category of the wanted list and had a bounty of 300,000 Turkish liras ($52,104) on his head.

The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray.

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 Davut Demircan