Eight suspected PKK terrorists were detained in a security operation conducted yesterday by security forces in the western province of İzmir, demonstrating the terrorist organization's efforts to spread terror in Turkey's west, not just the southeastern provinces.
A joint operation between local police officers, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and Izmir provincial gendarmerie command, carried out simultaneous raids at nine addresses, detaining eight suspects with the initials M.T, F.T, S.T, M.T, N.B, S.T, M.A and M.S. The suspects were captured with many documents revealing their connections to the PKK terrorist organization, as well as unregistered guns. In another operation, forces found five shelters belonging to the PKK terrorists.
These terrorists were previously found to have provided logistical assistance to terrorist attacks on Feb. 23 and March 9 in the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir. Only one soldier was slightly injured in the two incidents.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the PKK terrorists İ.D., S.Ö. and E.A., who perpetrated another terror attack in the Soma district of Manisa province on April 28 linked to the terror attacks in Kemalpaşa, were captured in two separate operations. Following the attacks, security forces conducted 198 operations. Security forces said that the PKK terror organization was attempting to establish a new regional structure in the western Aegean region, and that security operations had destroyed this new terrorist structure.
Besides a terror campaign in Turkey's southeastern provinces, which is collapsing rapidly, the PKK has attempted to spread terrorist activity to the western provinces of the country.
Security forces previously captured two possible PKK-linked suicide bombers in the southeastern province of Muş in March, en route from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır to the western provinces to allegedly organize suicide bombings.
A suicide bombing in Bursa near the historic Ulu (Grand) Mosque injured 13 people on April 30, with the bomber being the only person killed. The PKK-linked Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) splinter group claimed responsibility for the attack. Interior Minister Efkan Ala confirmed on Monday that Eser Çalı, 24, was responsible for the Bursa suicide bombing, and stated that she was a member of the PKK terrorist organization.
On May 4, security forces in Istanbul captured Yakup Akan, who used the false identity Diyar Doğanay, after he came to Istanbul to prepare for a possible terror attack.