The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) announced Sunday that one of 12 terrorists "neutralized" in the Hakurk region of northern Iraq in Saturday's operations was Serkan Tüncer, one of the most wanted members of the PKK terrorist group.
Tüncer, who uses the alias Havar Bedran, was in the grey category of the color-coded list of terror suspects. The army refers to terrorists killed in counter-terrorism operations as "neutralized." Two Turkish soldiers were also killed in the operation in a shootout with terrorists.
The TSK regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks in Turkey.
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 some 40,000 people, including women and children. The terrorist organization isn't just active in Turkey but operates throughout the region, particularly in Syria and Iraq. The Turkish government has repeatedly called on the Iraqi government to eradicate the PKK threat. If not, Ankara says the TSK will exercise its rights and launch a cross-border operation in the area, as it did during Operation Euphrates Shield and Operation Olive Branch in Syria.
