Turkish soldier killed by Kurdish forces in northern Syria: Defense ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish defense ministry said late Friday that one of its soldiers was shot dead by the Kurdish forces in northern Syria. 

The ministry said in a statement that the soldier was initially injured but succumbed to his wound at the hospital. It blamed the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the backbone of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), but the group has not confirmed its alleged involvement.  

Turkey, which considers the YPG the Syrian offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), often targets its positions in Syria. The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but Ankara has listed it as a terrorist organization. 

The ministry said in a tweet early Saturday that its soldiers targeted YPG positions in northern Syria, claiming that 11 members of the group were “neutralized.”

Turkish officials use the term “neutralize” to imply surrenders, killings or capturing. 

Turkey has launched three military operations against the Kurdish forces in Syria since 2016, invading key towns like Afrin, Sare Kani (Ras al-Ain) and Gire Spi (Tal Abyad). 

In November, Turkey launched an aerial campaign against the SDF and later threatened that a ground operation would follow.