Watch: Security footage of Erbil diplomat killing; Confessions implicate PKK
Abdulrahman Aar (Dizhwar)
In his confession video, the man known as Dizhwar identifies himself as Abdulrahman Aar, saying, “In 1986, I was born in Siirt [Turkey]. In 2006, I became a member of the PKK.”
He explains that he was known as Dizhwar and Mamad in the group, adding that he was working in Makhmour in 2016.
Aar goes on to corroborate the information Dagh had provided regarding his training starting in April and then the planning of the assassination, including acquiring pistols equipped with silencers and a fake license for their getaway car.
After telling Dagh’s team of three of the location of Kose, Dizhwar split up and awaited a phone call that would confirm that the task was complete. He received the call and relayed the information to his superior in Qandil, Fatih, who ordered Dizhwar not to contact him anymore.
He also confirms Dagh's narrative about when they met up with each other in Rajab Bradosti’s house and when they when their own separate ways. He added that he had been acquainted with Sidqi for over a year and knew he would help them.
He then went to the house of another friend, Rozhhat Mousa, who was also detained. Aar was arrested later that day.
Ismail Geçici
Ismail Geçici says in his confession that he was born in 1988 in the Kurdish city of Urfa, Turkey and arrived in Erbil to work 2015. After a while, he got to know Dizhwar who had introduced himself as “a PKK member.”
He then admits to acting as a driver for the operation and was tasked with picking up Dagh at the cemetery where he abandoned his car.
“I took Mazloum [Dagh] to Rajab’s house,” and then picked up medication to treat Dagh's injured leg.
Rajab Bradosti
Rajab Bradosti states in the video that he is originally from the town of Sidakan, Turkey, but had become a resident of Erbil.
He says he became familiar with “a number of PKK members, one of them Mamad [Dizhwar].”
“Before the July 17 incident, he said he would come to see me and introduce me to a friend.” He continues saying that this did not happen until the day of the shooting.
He helped with Dagh’s injuries until Geçici arrived to treat the wounds. Bradosti was then told to go a busy Erbil thoroughfare to gauge the level of security and to check on the vehicle they had dumped to see if it was still there.
“I drove around 60 Meter [Road] and when I went to the cemetery, it was still there and I returned home.”
Dizhwar and Dagh stayed the night at Bradosti’s place and lunched together the day after, when Rajab was arrested.
Ayoub Bradosti
In his video, Ayoub Bradosti says he is a Zozk employee and that its director Sidqi Bradosti called him two days after the shooting, asking him to transport the two men then at the Zozk office to an apartment because “purportedly, they had something to do for two days.”
Early in the afternoon of the same day, Sidqi Bradosti called him and asked for him to again back to the apartment and demand they leave the premises. When he did so, the two men asked Ayoub to drive them to the outskirts of the Erbil. He complied, dropped them off on 120 Meter Road, and was arrested later that day.
Sidqi Bradosti
Sidqi confesses that he also met the two men together on July 19th, although he had known and met Dizhwar as a PKK member before that. The two asked him to give them a place to stay for some time and he then called Ayoub, asking him to drive the two men to a safe place. Ayoub agreed.
He later found out that Dizhwar and Dagh were wanted by security forces in connection to the killings and then called Ayoub to ask that the two men leave the apartment and was arrested some hours later.
Editing by John J. Catherine