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A wanted PKK terrorist was arrested in Bulgaria upon Turkey’s request, Bulgarian officials said on Wednesday.
The district attorney of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coastal province of Varna announced that Mehmet Y., a convicted member of the PKK terror group, was arrested by Interpol on Monday.
Mehmet Y. has been on Turkey’s most-wanted list for nine years after being convicted in absentia of spreading propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.
The 44-year-old was sentenced to more than six years in prison by a Turkish court.
The district attorney said Mehmet Y., for whom an extradition application is yet to be received from Turkey, is currently on supervised release.
The U.S., taking advantage of the rising tensions in last-opposition-held stronghold of Idlib, is sending military reinforcements to areas occupied by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror group east of the Euphrates River in Syria.It delivered 200 truckloads of ammunition on Tuesday to Syria’s Raqqa, which is currently under the occupation of the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).The U.S has supplied the YPG terror organization with more than 5,000 truckloads of weapons to allegedly use in the fight against Daesh, despite Ankara’s warnings that the group is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terror organization.Washington escalates warning to AssadThe White House on Tuesday warned, "If Syrian President Bashar al-Assad chooses to again use chemical weapons, the United States and its allies will respond swiftly and appropriately,” in an attempt to escalate chaos in the region.President Donald Trump in the past year and a half has twice ordered U.S.-led air strikes against targets in Syria in response to what Washington called the Assad government’s use of chemical weapons against civilians.On Tuesday, Russian warplanes bombed several areas in Idlib, raising worries of a major assault by the Assad regime forces and its allies.Located near the Turkish border, Idlib is home to more than 3 million Syrians, many of whom fled from other cities following attacks by regime forces.Pentagon’s no-fly zone strategyThe Washington administration, which intends to maintain a permanent presence in Syria, has completed the construction of three advanced radar systems in Syria’s Hasakah-Tal Baidar countryside along with the Ayn al-Arab and Sarrin regions, and has set up 13 portable and fixed observation-intelligence radar systems.Pentagon’s preparation for a no-fly-zone indicates that the U.S. administration also wants to interfere in Turkey’s military operations to ensure the safety of PKK terrorists after Ankara’s successful ops conducted in Syria’s Hasakah, Qarrah Chouk Mountains and Iraq’s Sinjar.US trains 40,000 terroristsIn January, the U.S.-led international coalition against Daesh announced that it would establish a 30,000-strong new border security force, funded by Saudi Arabia, with the SDF -- the U.S.-backed group that is largely controlled and manned by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization in Syria. The U.S. and its allies have also trained around 40,000 PKK terrorists since 2015.The purpose of Washington is to put pressure on the Damascus regime to approve a PKK autonomy in the region.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
US takes advantage of Idlib crisis to increase support for PKK/YPG in Syria
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Tuesday received U.S. Special Envoy to Syria, James Jeffrey, in the capital Ankara.In a closed-door meeting, Akar expressed Turkey's discomfort at the YPG/PKK presence in Syria and said that the terror group must leave the region.He also conveyed Turkey’s intention to continue protecting its security and regional interests in accordance with international law, as well as the need to completely rid the region from the terrorist organization.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people.Video: Turkish Defense Minister receives US Special Representative for SyriaThe request came as Turkish and U.S. forces are carrying out joint patrols in the northwestern Syrian city of Manbij as part of a roadmap to clear the area of the YPG.Turkey has carried out two-cross border operations against the YPG in Syria.In a move long sought by Turkey, the NATO allies agreed in June to implement a roadmap for the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where Ankara had threatened to push its ground offensive despite the U.S. troops stationed there.UN sees 'moment of truth' for Syria political processKremlin dismisses Trump warning on Syria's IdlibRussia resumes Idlib air strikes: Syrian ObservatoryPossible war between Israel, Iran loomsYPG/PKK terror group suffers heavy losses in August
Turkey tells US that YPG/PKK must leave Syria
A total of 170 YPG/PKK terrorists in Turkey and abroad were "neutralized" in August, including senior figures of the terror group, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.On Aug. 1-31, 11 security personnel were martyred in terror attacks, while 19 security personnel and two civilians were injured.In the same period, 253 terror suspects were arrested as part of operations against PKK in Turkish cities, including senior figures of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP). Of them 70 were remanded in custody.Turkish jets neutralize 3 terrorists in northern IraqIbrahim Coban and Baris Oner on the Interior Ministry’s "red list", C. Sinan Oktulmus, Omer Duran and Vehbi Tas on the "orange list", and Deniz Tali and M. Sirin Ozen on the "grey list" were among those neutralized in August.The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey.Also, PKK's senior figures Ismail Ozden and Pinar Yildirim, the so-called representative of the far-left TKP/ML terror group in eastern Tunceli province's Ovacik district Ilker Tezer, and PKK's so-called representative in eastern Erzurum province Mahmut Lacin were neutralized.The operations continue to target PKK terrorist positions in northern Iraq.Nearly 400 terrorists were neutralized in northern Iraq and the Mt. Qandil region over the past months.In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including those of women and children.The PYD/YPG are Syrian branches of the terrorist PKK and the focus of Turkey's successful counter-terrorist Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, Syria, near the border with Turkey.
YPG/PKK terror group suffers heavy losses in August