Murat Kızıl, a top member of the terrorist group PKK, was captured on Friday in a joint operation abroad by Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the intelligence department of the Turkish National Police. Turkish media outlets reported that Kızıl was intercepted in Syria, though security sources did not confirm this. He was preparing to flee to a European country before Turkish intelligence captured him, security sources said.

Authorities shared photos of Kızıl, also known as "Mazlum Mardin," after his capture and transfer to Türkiye.

Kızıl joined the PKK in 2015 and was a high-ranking name in the group both in Iraq and Syria. He already had an arrest warrant from Türkiye for membership in a terrorist group.