Gülen, PKK leaders remain on Turkey’s ‘most wanted’ list

ISTANBUL

Fethullah Gülen (L) was included in Turkey's list of most wanted terrorists, which also includes Cemil Bayık (R), one of the founders of the outlawed PKK.

The Interior Ministry has updated its list of “wanted terrorists,” which with 101 new names added now includes a total of 676 names.

In total, the list included 583 names linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The ministry ranks those included on the list in five color-coded categories from red (most wanted), down to blue, green, orange and grey.

U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, an ally-turned-nemesis of the Turkish government, is included in the red category of most wanted terrorists. Ankara is currently trying to extradite the Pennsylvania-based cleric from the U.S., claiming that his followers in a so-called “parallel state” have plotted to overthrow the government.

Others in the red category include the top leaders of the PKK, including founder Cemil Bayık, acting leader Murat Karayılan and senior figure Duran Kalkan, according to state-run Anadolu Agency.

The total list also includes 20 members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which was behind the twin suicide bombing in Ankara on Oct. 10 that killed 102 people (including two suicide bombers), in the worst terrorist attack in Turkey’s history. Only 12 ISIL members had been included in the previous list in October. 

Some 19 people defined as “Gülenists” are also on the list, while 10 members of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), seven militants from the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party Front (DKHP-C), eight al-Qaeda members and three Hizbollah members are also included in the list.

Any information leading to the capture of those named may result in an reward of between 300,000 Turkish Liras (around $100,000) and four million liras ($1.4 million), according to the website www.terorarananlar.pol.tr.