PKK, PYD work collaboratively, intelligence report reveals

The latest intelligence reports have revealed that the PKK terrorist organization is closely affiliated with the Syria-based Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed Women's Protection Units (YPJ). According to a report published by Turkish daily Milliyet, three high-ranked PKK militants, one of whom is a woman, operate within the PYD.

Though President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told members of the media during his visit to Latvia in 2014 that there are high-ranked PKK militants operating at administrative levels of the PYD, the U.S. has been incisive not to label the PYD as a terrorist organization. In this regard, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby recently reaffirmed that Washington does not consider the PYD or its armed Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) to be a terrorist organization, even though it recognizes the PKK as such.

Similarly to the report found by Milliyet, another Turkish daily, Takvim, also found a similar intelligence report last year indicating that a top ranked PKK militant with the nickname "Bahoz Erdal" whose actual name is Fehman Hüseyin, was training young members of the PYD's YPG after the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) attacked the Kurdish town of Kobani in Syria. Takvim also reported that Fettah Abdi, whose nickname is "Şahin," is the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan's adopted son, and is operating and actively fighting for the PYD.

The newly revealed report also indicates that Mehmet Şerif Aslan, also known as "Doctor Şervan," is in charge of the PYD in the Ras al-Ayn region while Bedirhan Abo, known as "Dilovam" and "Masiro," is in charge the YPG in Syria.

Additionally, Fatma Demir, who is known by the pseudonyms "Meryem" and "Melsa," reportedly joined the PKK in 1998 and has been responsible for the YPJ. Abo reportedly joined the PKK in 1991. The report revealed that Abo is responsible for the YPG in Rojava as the senior administrator. Sources also said that the recently increasing PKK terror attacks in Turkey have changed due to the important and experienced militants still operating with the PYD in Syria.

The PYD, which refused the help of the Free Syrian Army against fighting ISIS, has been claimed to be aiming at declaring independence. Similarly, the PKK, which was formed in 1978, had been fighting the Turkish government for an independent state from 1984 until the early 2000s. The group then shifted its goal to autonomy in the predominately Kurdish inhabited regions of Turkey.