The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has apprehended the so-called logistics responsible of the PKK/KCK Çekdar Kaya in northern Iraq’s Sinjar and brought the terrorist to Türkiye.

According to security sources quoted by Anadolu Agency (AA), Kaya joined the PKK in 2015 and participated in terror attacks in Gara in 2016 and Sinjar in 2017. He also served as the terrorist group’s sharpshooter in Sinjar.

Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks against Turkey.

Türkiye has long been stressing that it will not tolerate terrorist threats against its national security and has called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group. Ankara previously noted that it would not shy away from targeting terrorist threats if the expected steps were not taken.

In the last two years, the operations intensifying in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group's influence in these regions, Türkiye also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.

The Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq are the PKK's stronghold and the group is active in many nearby cities and towns. It occupies a large number of villages in the region from where it launches attacks on Türkiye.

This April, Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock to target PKK hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions, near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, which were launched in 2020 to eliminate terrorists hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.