Turkish Intelligence ‘neutralises’ PKK’s Iraq ‘intelligence head’

Celal Kaya, who was also the mastermind behind the assassination of Turkish diplomat Osman Case in Erbil in 2019, had been operating in northern Iraq for a long time.

Recognised as ‘Intelligence Official’ by the PKK terror group in Iraq, Hasan, alias Celal Kaya, has been “neutralised” in a breathtaking operation carried out by MIT, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, in a rural town of Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah city.

Turkish authorities use the term “neutralise” to imply the terrorists in question has either surrendered or were killed or captured.

According to MIT, Kaya was also the mastermind behind the assassination of Turkish diplomat Osman Case in Erbil in 2019, and he had been operating in northern Iraq for a long time.

Being actively involved in organising the terror group’s domestic and international actions, Kaya held a senior position in PKK’s so-called intelligence ring, leading a network of underground workers who engaged in espionage and fed information on the Turkish security installations and assets to the PKK, aiding the terror group’s activities against the Turkish security forces in northern Iraq. Led by Kaya, these operatives were also involved in in the abduction of Turkish public officials, said the MIT.

MIT has developed a strong understanding about the PKK’s covert terror activities since it has been tracking the high-level figures of PKK through its established local intelligence network.

MIT, which periodically deployed its sources in the field and obtained intelligence about Kaya, frequently changed its team in the region to avoid drawing attention.

The plan against Kaya had been in progress for a long period of time.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.