National Intelligence Organization (MIT) announced Thursday that Edip Temiz, a prominent figure of the terrorist group PKK, was "neutralized" in Qandil Mountain, the group’s stronghold in northern Iraq.
Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.
Temiz, also known as "Cesur Azad," was in charge of the so-called Special Force after he was put through ideological, military and technical training. He was a member of PKK for about two decades and was among the trainers of new recruits of PKK in Iraq.
Security sources say he was also among the developers of Zagros, a homemade sniper rifle used by PKK members who piece it together from other weapons. He oversaw the crew that produced new weapons and special equipment and coordinated R&D operations on technical/tactical materials for the group. It also landed him a senior position at the PKK’s so-called Military Council.
MIT has a network of field agents who discover that PKK’s senior members operate in secrecy.
When sources in the field found Temiz, MIT changed its group on the site frequently not to draw any attention. The organization used intelligence networks operating entirely unaware of one another, to track Temiz’s movements.
Following a long surveillance period, Temiz’s location was found and MIT had to wait for the right time for an operation. When the conditions were right to deliver the heaviest blow to the PKK’s technical and infrastructural operations, MIT eliminated Temiz.
19 terrorists eliminated
Turkish security forces have stepped up their operations abroad in recent years to stamp out terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria – Türkiye’s two southeastern neighbors.
Dozens were neutralized in the past two years in precision operations by Turkish forces in both countries, where the current conflicts, geography, as well as U.S. support in Syria shelter them from cross-border operations.
Turkish Defense Ministry announced Thursday that security forces eliminated a total of 19 terrorists in the north of Syria and Iraq in the past week alone.
It raised the number of terrorists eliminated this year to 813 and 38,156 in total since 2015 when Ankara launched cross-border counterterrorism operations in the region, it said.
The PKK is responsible for over 40,000 civilian and security personnel deaths in Türkiye over an almost four-decade campaign of terror. Türkiye has been conducting military operations in northern Iraq since 2019, with ground and air forces to battle the organization.
In the last few years, the operations intensifying in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group’s influence in these regions, Türkiye also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.
Türkiye's military involvement in northern Iraq dates back over two decades, separately from its operations against the PKK, and also included the war against the Daesh terrorist group, which controlled much of the area, in 2014 and 2015, when Ankara was an ally in the U.S.-led anti-Daesh campaign.