A suspected PKK member, who came from Switzerland to Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır to participate in PKK activities, was arrested on Sunday, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report said yesterday.
Following up on intelligence, an anti-terror branch of the police launched an operation to catch the suspect, who had planned to go back to Switzerland on Sunday. The suspect was arrested at the airport in Diyarbakır ahead of his planned departure. The suspect, 38-year-old H.M., was arrested on charges of "conducting terror propaganda" and "being a member of a terrorist organization." The suspect is known to be the co-chair of the PKK-affiliated Biel Kurdish Society Center in Switzerland.
Despite its international status as a terrorist organization, the PKK has enjoyed relative freedom in European cities, as some EU countries have ignored the presence of the group, allowing its followers to hold massive rallies in their cities. The PKK has also used the EU to bolster its financial resources, for recruitment and as a safe haven for its leadership. Despite benefiting from freedom in Europe, the terrorists have not refrained from attacking European cities.
Formed in 1978, the PKK terrorist group has been fighting the Turkish government for an independent state. Its terror campaign has caused the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including children, women and the elderly. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
