According to official reports, the Turkish military found 13 kidnapped Turks dead in a cave during an operation against the Kurdistan Workers‘ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. „I wish we could have got our 13 citizens out of there safely,“ Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said today. The kidnapping was not announced beforehand for security reasons.
The Turkish military had previously fought heavy combat with PKK fighters and, among other things, brought the cave under its control, said Akar. During the search, the 13 bodies were found. According to initial findings, twelve people were shot in the head and another was shot in the shoulder, Akar said. They were unarmed.
Two captured PKK fighters testified that the prisoners were executed shortly before the start of the operation in the area. There was initially no explanation from the PKK.
New Turkish offensive in Iraq
Turkey launched a large-scale operation against the PKK in northern Iraq in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk on Wednesday. Ankara justifies the procedure with self-defense, among other things. In Germany, the Scientific Service of the Bundestag questioned whether it was compatible with international law during a similar assignment by Turkey in the summer.
The Turkish government and the PKK have been fighting each other for decades. The military repeatedly takes action against PKK positions in the south-east of the country and in northern Iraq. The PKK is a terrorist organization in Turkey, Europe and the USA. Their headquarters are in the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq.
