A suspected member of the PKK terrorist organization who was allegedly trained at a notorious terror camp in Lavrion, Greece was arrested by Turkish forces on Saturday, according to security sources, as another PKK member was reportedly caught while trying to flee to Greece the same day.
Istanbul counterterrorism and intelligence teams working under the coordination of prosecutors caught the suspect, identified only as M.A.A., while in the midst of preparing for an attack, added the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
A search of the terrorist and his belongings found coded messages in the style of the PKK, documents written by the group's so-called leader Murat Karayılan and photos of PKK terrorists in rural areas.
After processing by police, the suspect was arrested at a courthouse.
Meanwhile, security sources told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday said that another PKK terrorist suspect was caught in western Edirne province while trying to flee to Greece.
Türkiye has long decried Europe's tolerance toward the PKK, as numerous EU countries have allowed PKK propaganda and recruitment to take place within their borders, ignoring the group's status as a terrorist group.
Greece has long been accused of being a favorite hideout for terrorists from the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP-C) and PKK. Those fleeing Türkiye have taken shelter in refugee camps in Lavrion near Athens under the guise of being asylum-seekers, especially in the 1980s. Despite the closure of Lavrion in 2013 amid pressure from Türkiye, Greece continues to be the primary destination for DHKP-C terrorists.
Footage from the camp shows that it has turned into a base for PKK terrorists.
The camp resembles a terrorist base, with terrorist symbols and pictures of its imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Öcalan adorning its walls.