Turkey Strikes Back After Deadly PKK Attack on Defence Company

Following a deadly attack on a Turkish state-run defence company near Ankara, Turkey has launched a fierce counteroffensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), carrying out airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria and arresting dozens of suspected PKK members within its borders, Al Jazeera reports.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), which designs and manufactures aircraft, drones, and other defense systems. Five people were killed and 22 injured in the attack, which involved explosives and automatic gunfire.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, chairing a security meeting with key ministers and military leaders in Istanbul, pledged to “eradicate terrorism at its source” in Syria. He vowed to continue the fight against the PKK until its complete elimination, stating that the overnight bombing campaign had inflicted “a very heavy price” on the group.

Turkish forces have conducted two consecutive nights of airstrikes, targeting 34 PKK positions in northern Iraq and 29 in northern Syria. The strikes have focused on the Hakurk, Gara, Qandil, and Sinjar regions of Iraq, targeting shelters, warehouses, and other facilities.

According to security sources, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) has hit a total of 120 PKK targets in Iraq and Syria since the attack near Ankara.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported that 27 civilians were killed in drone strikes in north and east Syria during a 24-hour military escalation following the attack. The Observatory documented 45 drone strikes and four by fighter jets targeting infrastructure including water and power networks and gas stations. The Turkish army denies targeting civilians.

Meanwhile, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that 176 suspected PKK members were arrested in operations across Turkey.

The PKK has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since the 1980s, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands. Turkey regularly conducts air attacks against the PKK in Iraq and against a Kurdish group in Syria affiliated with it.