Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Monday that forces had killed Sofi Nurettin, who led the PKK’s operations in Syria.
Erdogan accused Nurettin of ordering the killing of “13 innocent people during the Gara operation,” and said he was responsible for several attacks on the Turkish army during Euphrates Shield and Olive Branch operations in Syria.
In February, 13 people were killed during a Turkish operation against the PKK on the Kurdistan Region’s Mount Gara. Twelve were members of the Turkish security forces being held hostage by the PKK. The thirteenth was a Kurd from Duhok. The PKK and the Turkish army both blame the other for their deaths.
Nurettin’s activities in both the Kurdistan Region and Syria confirm Turkey’s allegation that Kurdish organizations in northeastern Syria are part of the PKK, Erdogan said.
“The situation of Sofi Nurettin, who was neutralized, revealed that it is impossible to deny the fact that the PKK/KCK (the PKK’s political umbrella organization) and the PYD (Democratic Union Party)/YPG (People’s Protection Units) are the same organization,” he said.
The operation that killed Nurettin was jointly conducted by Turkey’s military and intelligence directorate.
The PKK has not immediately issued a statement.
Nurettin assumed command of the PKK’s armed wing, the People's Defence Forces (HPG), in 2009, taking over from Bahoz Erdal. In a 2011 interview, he took a defiant stance, saying the PKK was ready to fight for years in the mountains.
“This is the last battle of Erdogan and his government. Kurdistan will entomb Erdogan in this war,” he said.
In late April, Turkey launched Operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt against the PKK in areas of northern Duhok, near the border. A goal of the operation is to establish a military base to block PKK movements between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey and Syria.
Turkey has announced the death of nine soldiers and the PKK says they have lost 18 fighters since the operations began.
The PKK is an armed Kurdish group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. Ankara considers it a terrorist organization and a threat to its national security. Turkish forces regularly pursue the PKK within the Kurdistan Region’s borders where the group has its headquarters.
Updated at 9:30 pm
