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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkey launched two fresh operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the southeastern provinces of Sirnak and Hakkari on Thursday, the interior ministry has said, adding the operations are linked to the recent offensive against the group in the Kurdistan Region.
The operation in Sirnak province is code-named Eren Cudi-Besta and the one in Hakkari province is code-named Eren Kazan-Ogul, reported the state-owned Anadolu Agency.
More than 5,000 members of the security forces are involved in the operation, according to the state-owned TRT.
The operation is named after 15-year-old Eren Bulbul, who was killed during a clash between Turkish forces and the PKK in Trabzon province on August 11, 2017. According to Turkish media, Bulbul had spotted some PKK fighters in his hometown of Macka and informed the police. He accompanied him to the area, where he was killed. The PKK confirmed their involvement in the clash, but did not mention Bulbul.
Turkey blames the PKK for his death, and has cast him as a hero in their fight against the armed group ever since.
The ministry said the new operations on the border are "coordinated and linked" with Operation Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt, launched in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province last week.
Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lightning and Operation Claw-Thunderbolt against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region on Friday. The Metina and Avashin areas of Duhok’s mountainous frontier with Turkey are the focus of the incursion.
Turkey has claimed that tens of PKK fighters have been “neutralized” during both operations in Duhok province. The Turkish government and affiliated media use the word “neutralize” to denote death, injury, or capture of its adversaries.
On Wednesday, the defense ministry announced the death of one Turkish soldier and injury of two others.
PKK media on Wednesday said five Turkish soldiers were "punished," which could denote death, injury, or capture.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. The decades-long clashes between both sides have caused the deaths of over 40,000 people, according to the International Crisis Group.
Additional reporting: Dilan Sirwan
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