PKK claims responsibility for explosion in Turkey's Hatay province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Thursday claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack in Turkey’s Hatay province on the Syrian border and said that Turkish media reports of the incident included “disinformation.”

“On October 26, a two-person professional guerrilla team carried out an action in Iskenderun district of Hatay. What is reported in the colonial Turkish press about this action is purely disinformation,” read a statement from the PKK’s military wing, People’s Defense Forces (HPG), reported by Firat News Agency (ANF), a media outlet affiliated with the group.

The PKK did not elaborate further and said more details will be released later.

Turkish media reported on Monday that security forces in Iskenderun district killed a PKK member and a second blew himself up without causing casualties.

Hatay Governor Rahmi Dogan claimed later in the day that they had “neutralized” all PKK fighters in the Nur (Amanos) Mountains of Hatay province, believed to be a hideout for a group of PKK fighters. Turkish authorities use the term “neutralized” to refer to people killed, captured, or surrendered.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated the security forces on their “successful” operation.

He used the incident to highlight security concerns from Kurdish forces in Syria, telling members of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the parliament on Wednesday that Turkey is right to be sensitive to threats coming from neighboring Syria.

He later renewed his threat to attack northeastern Syria, known to Kurds as Rojava, if the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) do not withdraw from the border. Turkey has conducted three military incursions across the border into Syria and, after heavy Turkish bombardment last week, residents of the Ain Issa area are worried Ankara is preparing for a new offensive.

Following the Hatay attack, Turkish security forces conducted raids in Istanbul, Sanliurfa, Adiyaman, and Diyarbakir, detaining five people allegedly connected to the incident.

The PKK is a Kurdish armed group fighting for increased cultural and political rights of Kurds in Turkey. It has waged an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984. Turkey regards it and Kurdish forces in Rojava as terrorist organizations.

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