Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has captured a wanted PKK terrorist based in the terrorist group’s Russian network, security sources said Wednesday.
Bari Iusubov, under MIT’s surveillance since 2020, was arrested in a joint operation by the intelligence agency and police department in southern Antalya province.
Iusubov played a prominent role in propaganda activities on days the PKK has declared to be “special” at its camps in Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and northern Iraq’s Makhmour region, sources said.
The terrorist was also in close contact with the PKK’s so-called senior cadres and took part in PKK activities, they added.
The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984 to achieve a so-called Kurdish self-rule in southeastern regions and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara, as well as the United States and the European Union.
The conflict was mainly fought in rural areas of southeastern Türkiye but is now more focused on the mountains of northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-administered region, where the PKK militants have their headquarters in Qandil, which sits roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of the Turkish border in Irbil.
Türkiye has, over the past 25 years, operated several dozen military bases in northern Iraq in its war against the PKK and has been conducting airstrikes as part of the “Claw” operations since 2022 to demolish terrorist lairs and prevent the formation of a terror corridor along its borders.
The PKK also relies on a broad overseas network, concentrating mostly in Europe, where it exploits legal gaps and vague policies to recruit militants and finance its activities.
European countries, particularly Belgium, have faced criticism for their perceived tolerance of PKK activities, including propaganda and recruitment efforts in France, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Though officially outlawed in the EU and individual member states, in practice, the PKK has been allowed to demonstrate, raise funds for its terror campaign, and threaten or attack locals in European countries. In their activities in Europe, PKK sympathizers organize quickly, carry out violent acts, and clash with security forces.
Türkiye has consistently urged its allies, including the U.S. and EU members, to enhance their support in combating PKK terrorism. However, these appeals have largely gone unanswered.
The ongoing support of the U.S. for the PKK’s Syrian affiliates, the YPG, has been particularly contentious. Critics argue that this support, intended to bolster efforts against Daesh, contributes to regional instability and indirectly supports PKK activities.
