One of the five PKK terrorists who were neutralized as part of a counterterrorism operation by Turkish security forces targeting PKK terrorists in northern Iraq's Hakurk region was on the country's most wanted list, reports said Tuesday.
Nedim Karakulak, who went by the codename "Kawa Garzan" was neutralized with four others on Sept. 2.
The terrorist was on the red category of the Interior Ministry's most-wanted list and had a TL 4,000,000 ($690,726) bounty on his head.
Investigations have revealed that the high-ranking terrorist was responsible for transfers between the terror group's headquarters in Qandil and Hakurk regions and he also organized bomb transfers to Turkey for a while.
The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red marking the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray, depending on the sensitivity of their criminal activity.
Turkish security forces regularly conduct counterterrorism operations in eastern and southeastern provinces of Turkey where the PKK has attempted to establish a strong presence and bases. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) also carry out cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which to carry out attacks on Turkey. The operations were intensified after July 2018 and became routine since the beginning of another extensive campaign, Operation Claw, which was launched May 27 to entirely eliminate the presence of the terrorist organization in northern Iraq. On July 13, TSK launched Operation Claw-2 as a follow up to the successful Claw-1.
Like the first, the second operation was also launched in northern Iraq's Hakurk region and aimed to continue to destroy weapon placements and shelters used by PKK terrorists.
Operation Claw-3, which is the follow-up of the previous two, was initiated on Aug. 23 in the Sinat-Haftanin region in northern Iraq. The operation was launched to facilitate border security, eliminate the presence of terrorists, and destroy terrorist caves and shelters in the region.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU — has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
