Turkey’s operations against the PKK terrorist organization continue decisively in northern Iraq after 13 Turkish citizens were recently executed by the terror group and Turkey gradually leaves the mourning behind.

Three so-called high-ranking PKK members responsible for the terrorist organization’s intelligence and finance activities were killed by Turkish security forces as part of an operation carried out by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) in Iraq’s Metina region, security sources announced Monday.

The terrorists were followed closely after intelligence learned that they were going to hold a secret meeting in the region.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) regularly conducts cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from where they carry out attacks in Turkey.

Counterterrorism operations have gathered pace after PKK terrorists executed 13 abducted Turkish citizens in a cave in northern Iraq during a Turkish counterterrorism operation last week.

In retaliation, 48 terrorists were killed in the land operation, and two terrorists were captured alive, according to the ministry. Among the 48 terrorists killed, there were three high-level terrorists while three Turkish soldiers were killed and three others were injured at the beginning of the land operation.

Turkey launched Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle last June to ensure the safety of Turks and its national borders by eliminating terrorist threats. Operation Claw-Eagle 2 was launched last week.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women and children.

Meanwhile, the case over the killing of Yasin Börü, Ahmet Dakak, Riyat Güneş and Hasan Gökguz during unauthorized demonstrations held for the Oct. 6-7 incidents by PKK supporters continued. The public prosecutor stated that the current situation of the arrested defendants will continue and that a criminal complaint will be filed against five defendants that voiced pro-PKK sentiment.

The pro-PKK Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) triggered a response from its supporters following the Daesh terror group's attack in the northern Syrian city of Ayn al-Arab (Kobani), resulting in mass incidents of violence in 35 provinces, 96 districts and 131 settlements. The clashes mostly have taken place between the pro-PKK protesters and the conservative Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) followers, two groups that are in a feud since the 1990s.

The violence killed two police officers and 35 people while injuring 435 civilians and 326 police officers.

On Sept. 25, 2020, prosecutors in the capital Ankara said in a written statement that many players, including PKK terrorist ringleaders, urban agents, HDP members and HDP co-chairs, called on people to take to the streets and commit acts of terrorism.

The HDP has many times drawn outcry for transferring taxpayer money to the PKK. The party's mayors and local officials have been found to misuse funds in support of the PKK terrorist group and provide jobs to PKK sympathizers. HDP mayors have also been accused of undermining municipal services, allowing the PKK to dig ditches in the streets and launch attacks on police and soldiers when the terrorist group adopted an urban warfare strategy in July 2015, ending a two-year reconciliation period.

A group of families in southeastern Diyarbakır province are also protesting the PKK in front of the provincial HDP building for abducting their children.

Furthermore, people living in Sivas province’s Zara district, where the PKK killed nine citizens 26 years ago in the Selimiye village, demand the party to be closed since it supports the terror group.

One of the citizens, Mehmet Fethi Kaya, who lost three siblings during the attack, stated that the terror group killed nine people and burned down houses in the village.

He stated that one of his brothers who was killed in the attack was only 15 years old.

"I do not want the HDP to be in the parliament; they are a political party supporting them (PKK)."