Turkish forces 'neutralize' 5 terrorists, including 1 wanted in red category

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - Security forces in eastern Türkiye "neutralized" five terrorists, including one in the most-wanted red category, the country's interior minister said on Thursday.

"Five terrorists were neutrealized in the rural areas of Dogubayazit district in Agri province and Palamut village in the Hasankeyf district of Batman province, in the 'BOZDOGAN-43' operations," Ali Yerlikaya said on X.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

One of the five neutralized in the operations was a terrorist named Yilmaz Oner, noted Yerlikaya.

Oner, also known by his code name Sehmus Malazgirt, was wanted in the red category of the Interior Ministry's color-coded list. The list is divided into five categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and gray.

Three other terrorists were wanted in orange category.

Yerlikaya said Oner had participated in a total of 18 terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of 27 security personnel and four civilians, while 68 security personnel and two civilians were injured.

It was also determined that Oner gave the order for those terror attacks to take place, he added.

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.