Turkiye neutralizes key PKK figure in al-Sulaymaniyah
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Turkish intelligence agency (MIT) announced the neutralization of "Saliha Ak Biyik", known as the "Iranian Officer" in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), during an operation in al-Sulaymaniyah, within the Kurdistan Region.
The term "neutralize" is commonly used by Turkish authorities to indicate that the terrorists either surrendered, killed, or captured during the military operations.
According to Anadolu Agency, security sources reported that MIT received information about Ak Biyik, also known as "Nujian Amad", being located in the Panjwin area on the Iraqi-Iranian border.
The sources revealed that after being tracked by MIT agents, Ak Biyik was neutralized in a direct operation. They noted that she had been active within the PKK since 1993.
The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK started advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases.
On August 15, after two days of high-level security talks in Ankara, Turkiye and Iraq signed an agreement focusing on military, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation, explicitly targeting the PKK. This agreement includes establishing joint coordination and training centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein after talks in Ankara, described the defense agreement as having "historical importance." Hussein noted that the accord was "the first in the history of Iraq and Turkiye" in this field.
Notably, after signing the agreement, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters that the recent counter-terrorism measures taken by Turkiye and Iraq marked a turning point in their relations. He added that Ankara wanted Baghdad to take an additional step and officially designate the PKK as a terrorist organization as soon as possible.
