MİT brings senior PKK member to Türkiye

ANKARA

The National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has brought Burhan Piçak, who was leading PKK/KCK’s “assassination unit,” to Türkiye in the operation carried out in northern Iraq.

Piçak, code-named Canşer/Laşer, was determined to cross into Syria from the southeastern province of Diyarbakır’s Lice district in 2015 and join the PKK.

After receiving training within the YPG, the PKK’s offshoot in Syria, he carried out activities in the organization’s battalion against the Peace Spring Operation carried out in 2019.

The operation in Aleppo, within Hasakah and Raqqa was a cross-border operation Türkiye conducted in northern Syria to clear the region of PKK/YPG terrorists.

Piçak, who was in Syria’s Tabqa region in 2019 and 2020, received “expert assassination training” in Syria’s Sarrin and was assigned to the assassination unit.

He was subsequently assigned to the Sinjar region of Iraq’s capital Mosul, where he operated as a commander.

Meanwhile, four PKK/YPG terrorists who attempted to attack Turkish forces in Euphrates Shield Operation zone were neutralized, the Defense Ministry announced in a social media post.

“Our operations will continue without slowing down,” it added.

To clear the region of PKK/YPG terrorists, the Euphrates Shield Operation was conducted by Turkish forces in Syria’s Aleppo province between Aug. 24, 2016, and March 29, 2017.

“Neutralized” is a term used by the Turkish military and officials to indicate terrorists were either killed, wounded, or captured.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.