The testimony of a detained PKK member revealed low morale among terrorists due to continuous military operations by security forces in recent years.
Gürkan Düz, code-named Rezzan Erzingan, was detained by security forces while trying to escape to Greece from northwestern Edirne province along with five other terrorists.
Speaking about his joining process to the PKK, Düz said that he initially received sabotage training and was later deployed to eastern Turkey’s Tunceli and Erzincan provinces.
“The recent measures taken by security forces including patrol stations, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and armed drones have restricted our movement significantly. For this reason, the number of members surrendering has increased. There is a problem with ammunition because the last delivery was carried out in 2015 and the majority of ammunition was destroyed by military operations,” he said.
Düz noted that the hierarchical structure of the PKK leadership in northern Iraq in relation to the terrorists on the ground has been weakened. He said PKK members who want to surrender fear execution by their fellow terrorists.
“I couldn’t have voiced my intention to leave the organization. That’s why I told them that I will continue my activities inside the city. While I was trying to escape to Greece, I was detained by security forces,” he said.
The surrendered PKK member added that there is a great difference between the organization's rhetoric and its practices on the ground.
A prosecutor indicated that Düz and another detainee, Ahmet Herdem, were responsible for many attacks using handmade explosives in Erzincan and Tunceli provinces. The attacks on a military patrol in May 2020 and on an armored car in June 2017 are among the actions carried out by Düz and Herdem, the indictment said.
A significant number of suspected terrorists have started fleeing the PKK and surrendering while many terrorists lack the courage to leave the group because they would face severe punishment if caught. More than 235 members gave themselves up to Turkish security forces in 2019. Once they surrender, former recruits are provided with many opportunities, including the right to an education and the freedom to live without fear and oppression.
