ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s “motorbike” attack in the Yenibosna neighbourhood of Istanbul, Turkey which wounded 10 people.
TAK justified the attack as retaliation against the so-called October 9 international conspiracy plot- an operation by the Turkish intelligence agency that begun in 1998 and eventually led to the arrest of the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan in 1999- and Turkey’s ongoing military campaign in its Kurdish southeast.
"Turkey is not a safe country, as we have mentioned before. We will expand our activities unless the repression and the pressure by the Turkish state and the AKP [Justice and Development Party] government stops". TAK claimed, adding that they will target every city in Turkey, especially the metropolitan cities, the state institutions as well as the individuals who represent them.
Who are the TAK?
Little is known about TAK. It appeared on the scene in mid-2004, carrying out small, non-lethal attacks at first. However they quickly, and deliberately, began targeting and killing civilians and tourists. It appears to have been founded within the the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and still claims Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned head of the PKK, as its leader though it severed ties with that organization, stating that they could no longer accept what they call the “passive struggle methods” of the PKK.
“We will be in more radical position… After now, our attacks will continue and become more violently [sic]. We, as an organization are not connected with or dependent on any one or anywhere. Each militants [sic] of our force is ready to sacrifice his/her life for this struggle. We have the will and force to do all kind of action. Our military training and technical opportunities are adequacy [sic] for all kind of actions,” proclaimed an undated statement published on TAK’s website announcing its separation from the PKK.
TAK’s aim is to oppose Turkey’s repression of the Kurdish minority and to avenge the deaths of Kurds killed by Turkish authorities. “The military bureaucracy, economy and tourism are our top priority targets, while terror of state is not stopped [sic].”
TAK’s leadership and numbers are unknown but it claims on its website that its ranks have swelled three-fold and it is welcomed by the people.
In Feb 2016, TAK claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Ankara that killed 28 and wounding 61 others, calling it a “War Of Taking Revenge.”
