List of assassinations of the Kurdish Workers' Party insurgency explained

This is a list of assassinations of the Kurdistan Workers' Party insurgency, usually carried out by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the security forces of Turkey.

Date Target Attacker Location ResultCasualtiesComment
30 July 1979Mehmet Celal BucakPKKHilvan, Şanlıurfa, TurkeyAssassination failed5 killed, 2 woundedBucak was a Kurdish tribal leader and a member of the Turkish parliament. He was injured with his son when PKK militants under Cuma Tak tried to assassinate him.[1] [2]
22 October 1988Esat Oktay YıldıranPKKÜmraniye, Istanbul, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedYıldıran was a Turkish military officer who was responsible for torturing inmates in Diyarbakır Prison. He was shot dead on a public bus by a PKK militant.[3] [4]
7 July 1991Vedat AydınTurkeyMaden, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedVedat Aydın was a leader of the Peoples' Labour Party and the Turkish Human Rights Association.[5]
24 February 1992Cengiz AltunTurkeyIstanbul, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedOn 24 February 1992 Yeni Ülke journalist Cengiz Altun was assassinated. He had previously received death threats, and had written an article on the Counterguerrilla in the 2–8 February issue.[6] [7]
31 July 1992Yahya OrhanTurkeyIstanbul, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedJournalist Yahya Orhan, who wrote for Özgür Gündem and Yeni Ülke, was assassinated on 31 July 1992.[8]
20 September 1992Musa AnterTurkeyDiyarbakır, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killed, 1 woundedAnter was shot at a festival in 1992 by Turkish JITEM, in an incident in which the politician Orhan Miroğlu was seriously injured.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
18 February 1993Kemal KılıçTurkeyIstanbul, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedKemal Kılıç, a former correspondent for Özgür Gündem then writing for Yeni Ülke, was assassinated on 18 February 1993.[14]
4 September 1993TurkeyBatman, TurkeyAssassination successful2 killedMehmet Sincar was a politician of the Democracy Party investigating the murder of Vedat Aydın.[15]
4 September 1993Metin ÖzdemirTurkeyBatman, TurkeyAssassination successfulIncluded aboveMetin Özdemir was a politician of the Democracy Party investigating the murder of Vedat Aydın.
6 July 2005Hikmet FidanPKKBağlar, Diyarbakır, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedHikmet Fidan who worked as the senior general chairman for a long time in HADEP before the party was closed, was shot to death with a silencer in front of a building in Turkey.[16]
17 July 2005Hasan ÖzenPKKVienna, AustriaAssassination successful1 killedPKK's representative of Austria; Hasan Özen was assassinated. Özen was against of Abdullah Öcalan's declarations and he wanted to leave the organization.[17]
12 February 2006Kani YılmazPKKIraqi KurdistanAssassination successful2 killedPKK's former representative of Europe, Kani Yılmaz was assassinated by a bomb that was put into his car on 12 February. Yılmaz was burned to death in the car with a former PKK militant Sabri Tori.
9 January 2013Sakine CansızTurkeyParis, FranceAssassination successful3 killedSakine Cansız was one of the co-founders of the PKK. She was shot dead in Paris, on 9 January 2013, with two other female Kurdish activists, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Söylemez.[18] [19] [20]
9 January 2013Leyla SöylemezTurkeyParis, FranceAssassination successfulIncluded aboveLeyla Söylemez was an area manager of the PKK youth organisation. She was shot dead in Paris, on 9 January 2013, with two other female Kurdish activists, Sakine Cansız and Fidan Doğan.[21]
9 January 2013Fidan DoğanTurkeyParis, FranceAssassination successfulIncluded aboveFidan Doğan was a Kurdish activist, who worked at the Kurdish information centre in Paris and also represented the Brussels-based Kurdish National Congress in France. She was shot dead in Paris, on 9 January 2013, with two other female Kurdish activists, Sakine Cansız and Leyla Söylemez.[22]
22 July 2015Okan AcarPKK (alleged by Turkey)Ceylanpınar, Şanlıurfa,TurkeyAssassination successful2 killedOn 22 July 2015, two police officers (Okan Acar and Feyyaz Yumuşak) were assassinated by unidentified men. Soon after, 9 Turkey Kurds were anonymously denounced as the killers, arrested and accused of assassinations under PKK orders. Authorship was first claimed by PKK's armed wing HPG, describing it as a retaliation following the prior 2015 Suruç bombing.[23] [24] [25] [26]
22 July 2015Feyyaz YumuşakPKK (alleged by Turkey)Ceylanpınar, Şanlıurfa,TurkeyAssassination successfulIncluded aboveOn 22 July 2015, two police officers (Okan Acar and Feyyaz Yumuşak) were assassinated by unidentified men. Soon after, 9 Turkey Kurds were anonymously denounced as the killers, arrested and accused of assassinations under PKK orders. Authorship was first claimed by PKK's armed wing HPG, describing it as a retaliation following the prior 2015 Suruç bombing.
3 October 2015Haci Lokman BirlikTurkeyŞırnak, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedLokman was killed and his corpse tied with a rope to a police car and filmed by the police while being pulled through the streets of Şırnak. Lokman was the brother-in-law of HDP deputy Leyla Birlik.[27] [28]
28 December 2015Tahir ElçiTurkey (assumed)Diyarbakır, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedPresident of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, who litigated against Turkey at the European Court of Human Rights.[29]
14 September 2016Ahmet BudakPKKŞemdinli, Hakkari, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedAhmet Budak was a politician for AK Party. He was killed in front of his son with a pistol when 3 PKK members including a child attacked him.[30] [31] [32] [33]
22 September 2016Halit BenekPKKMazıdağı, Mardin, TurkeyAssassination failedNone (+1 perpetrator killed)Halit Benek was governor of Mazıdağı District for AK Party. A PKK member tried to assassinate him on 22 September with a pistol and a grenade but the assassin was shot death by police.[34] [35]
10 October 2016Aydın MuştuPKKÖzalp, Van, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedAydın Muştu was vice governor of Özalp District for AK Party. He was killed by PKK members in front of his house on 10 October.[36] [37] [38]
11 October 2016Deryan AktertPKKDicle, Diyarbakır, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killedDeryan Aktert was vice governor of Dicle District for AK Party. He was killed by PKK members on 11 October.[39] [40]
9 November 2016Ali BoutanTurkeyQamishli, Rojava, SyriaAssassination successful1 killedCommander of Anti-Terror Units.[41]
10 November 2016Muhammed Fatih SafitürkPKKDerik, Mardin, TurkeyAssassination successful1 killed, 1 woundedMuhammed Fatih Safitürk was governor of Derik District. He was assassinated by PKK via a bomb in his office. He was critically wounded and died of wounds the day after the attack. His personal chauffeur was also injured but survived.[42] [43] [44] [45]
17 December 2016Turan BedirhanoğluPKKŞırnak, TurkeyAssassination failed1 wounded (+1 perpetrator wounded)Turan Bedirhanoğlu vice governor of Şırnak for AK Party. The Turkish Intelligence was aware of a planned assassination before the planned date and took measures. Bedirhanoğlu was protected by special forces on 17 December. PKK militias opened fire when they realized they were noticed. Dincer was slightly and one of the PKK militias was heavily wounded.[46] [47]
15 August 2018 İsmail ÖzdenTurkey Snune, Sinjar, Iraqi KurdistanAssassination successful1 killedInsurgent's leadership. Assassinated in a Turkish airstrike on Sinjar.
17 July 2019 Osman Köse PKK (alleged by Turkey)Erbil, Iraqi KurdistanAssassination successful 3 killed Köse was an officer in Turkish consulate in Iraq. He was assassinated when he was dining on a restaurant in Erbil. Two Iraqi civilians were also killed in the assassination. Turkish government blamed PKK however, People's Defence Forces (HPG), the armed wing of the PKK never claimed responsibility for the assassination.[48] [49] [50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55]
12 October 2019Hevrin KhalafAhrar al-SharqiyaM4 Motorway, Rojava, SyriaAssassination successful1 killedHevrin Khalaf was a Kurdish-Syrian politician who served as the Secretary-General of the Future Syria Party. She was executed by Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sharqiya militants.[56]
23 June 2020 Zehra Berkel Turkey Helincê, Kobane, SyriaAssassination successful3 killedBerkel was a women's rights activist in Syrian's Rojava region as a coordinating member of the Kongra Star women's movement. She was killed via a Turkish drone attack together Amina Waysi and Mizgin Xelil.[57] Turkey has been criticized for this killing of women's rights activists.[58] [59]
5 June 2021 Selman Bozkir (aka Docteur Huseyin) Turkey Makhmour refugee camp, Iraq Assassination successful 3 killedTurkey claimed the airstrike which killed Bozkir and two others,[60] [61] claiming Bozkir, the camp manager, to be a senior PKK official and the camp to be "an incubator for terrorism". The Makhmour camp was created in the 1990s, hosting refugees fleeing South-Eastern Turkey's destruction.[62]
16-17 August 2021Seîd HesenTurkeySinjar, Iraqi Kurdistan Sikeniye village, Sinjar DistrictAssassination successful11 killedSeîd Hessen was an Iraqi Sinjar YBŞ commander targeted by Turkey airstrikes, including airstrikes on his hospital. Two assistants, 4 YBŞ security, and 4 medical staffs were killed.[63]
7 December 2021Marwan Badal HajiTurkeyKhanasor, Shingal districtAssassination successful2 killedMarwan Badal Haji was an Iraqi, Yazidi, Sinjar YBS commander. In 2014 while ISIS invaded Sinjar, Badal formed the core of a Yazidi resistance militia which later became the YBS, supported by Syrian YPG. Turkey considers YPG and YBS as foreign offshoots of Turkish PKK.[64]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TERÖRÜN İLK MAĞDURU FATİH BUCAK. 2020-10-20. Urfanatik Haber. tr.
  2. Book: Marcus, Aliza. Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence. April 2004. NYU Press. 2004. 978-0-8147-9587-3. 45. en.
  3. Web site: Rasim Ozan - Esat Oktay Yıldıran ve PKK. 2020-10-29. takvim.com.tr. tr.
  4. Web site: Diyarbakır Cezaevi'ndeki işkencenin adı: "Beni Öp Haydar". 2020-10-29. CNN Türk. 17 December 2015 . tr.
  5. Web site: Önderoğlu. Erol. Erol Önderoğlu. 17 September 2009. Vedat Aydın murder: Murder File Returned to its Origin after 18 Years. 4 November 2020. Bianet.
  6. Web site: Refugees. United Nations High Commissioner for. Refworld Journalists Killed in 1992 - Motive Confirmed: Cengiz Altun. 2019-11-20. Refworld. en.
  7. Book: Orhun, Mehmet. Political Violence and Kurds in Turkey. Routledge. 2016. 9781138918870. 184.
  8. batmanpostasigazetesi, 31 July 2012, Gazeteci Yahya Orhan mezarı başında anıldı
  9. Book: Cizre, Ümit. Democratic Oversight and Reform of the Security Sector in Turkey: 2005/2006 Status Report. LIT Verlag Münster. 2007. 978-3-03735-234-2. 244. Ümit Cizre.
  10. News: Ünlü. Ferhat. August 25, 2008. Suikastların adresi hep JİTEM'e çıkıyor. tr. Sabah. dead. December 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20081025080512/http://sabah.com.tr/2008/08/25/haber,C3735BB84B9D496D963C3646A8B0A5EB.html. October 25, 2008. Sonra da bildiğiniz gibi Şırnaklı Hamit infaz etti Anter'i. [Then, as you also know Şırnak Hamid Anter was executed.].
  11. Book: David Romero. The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Opportunity, Mobilization, and Identity. Cambridge University Press. 2006. 978-0-521-85041-4. 135.
  12. Web site: Amnesty International. September 1992. Kurdish Writer Musa Anter, 74, Murdered. 20 September 2019.
  13. Web site: Duvakli, Melik. 27 August 2008. JİTEM's illegal actions cost Turkey a fortune. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120606143652/http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById.action?load=detay&link=151355. June 6, 2012. December 9, 2015. Today's Zaman.
  14. [Human Rights Watch]
  15. Web site: Kurdish politician Mehmet Sincar commemorated on 27th anniversary of his assassination. 2020-11-04. Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi.
  16. Web site: Chronology of the Important Events in the World/PKK Chronology (1976–2006). dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101006073753/http://www.turkishweekly.net/article/217/chronology-of-the-important-events-in-the-world-pkk-chronology-1976-2006-.html. 6 October 2010. 15 April 2011. Turkish Weekly.
  17. DEMİR. Cenker Korhan. 2008. Öğrenen Örgütler ve Terör Örgütleri Bağlamında PKK. Uluslararası İlişkiler / International Relations. 5. 19. 57–88. 43926075. 1304-7310.
  18. News: 10 January 2013. Kurdish PKK co-founder Sakine Cansiz shot dead in Paris. BBC. 10 January 2013.
  19. News: 11 January 2013. Autopsy: Kurdish women died between 6 and 7pm. FIRAT news agency. dead. 14 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130115192602/http://en.firatnews.com/index.php?rupel=article&nuceID=5564. 15 January 2013. dmy-all.
  20. News: 14 January 2013. Funeral for PKK members set to take place Jan 16. Hurriyet Daily News. Istanbul. 14 January 2013.
  21. Web site: France closes the case on the murder in Paris of Sakine, Fidan and Leyla. 2019-10-21. ANF News. en.
  22. Web site: 2013-01-18. Paris killing victim buried with participation of thousands. 2013-02-17. Hurriyet.
  23. Web site: 16 April 2019. Acquittal of nine Ceylanpinar murder suspects upheld.
  24. Web site: Hoffman. Max. The State of the Turkish-Kurdish Conflict. 2020-05-02. Center for American Progress. 12 August 2019 . en-US.
  25. Web site: 2015-07-22. PKK claims Turkish police killing in revenge for Syria border attack. 2020-05-02. France 24. en.
  26. Web site: AFP. LeFigaro fr avec. 2015-07-22. Le PKK revendique le meurtre de policiers turcs. 2020-05-02. Le Figaro.fr. fr.
  27. Web site: Father on trial for attending son's funeral: I only buried my son. 2020-11-04. ANF News. en.
  28. Web site: Lawyer takes case of Kurdish man dragged behind armored vehicle to top court after 5 year impasse. 2020-11-04. www.duvarenglish.com. 10 April 2020 . en-GB.
  29. Web site: Turkey:Case concerning the killing of Tahir Elçi and lack of effective investigation into his death. 2020-12-16. ARTICLE 19. 27 November 2020 . en-US.
  30. Web site: Öldürülen AK Partili siyasetçi Ahmet Budak kimdir?. 2020-10-20. aksam.com.tr. 15 September 2016 . tr.
  31. Web site: AK Partili Ahmet Budak'a Suikast Düzenleyen Teröristler Öldürüldü - Son Dakika. 2020-10-20. Sondakika.com. 16 September 2016. tr.
  32. Web site: Ahmet Budak'ın katledildiği saldırının detayları gerekçeli kararda.
  33. Web site: AKP'li siyasetçinin cenazesinde tartışma. 2020-11-29. www.egeninsesi.com.
  34. Web site: Mardin'in Mazıdağı ilçesi Kaymakamı Halit Benek'e hain suikast girişimi. 2020-10-20. Karar Gazetesi. 22 September 2016 . tr.
  35. Web site: 2016-09-22. Mazıdağı Kaymakamı Halit Benek'e suikast girişimi iddiası. 2020-10-20. Yeni Çağ Gazetesi. tr.
  36. Web site: Son Dakika! HPG, AK Partili Başkan Yarımcısı Muştu'ya Yapılan Suikastı Üstlendi. 2020-10-20. Haberler.com. 10 October 2016. tr.
  37. Web site: 2016-10-10. Aydın Muştu suikastini yapan örgüt belli oldu. 2020-10-20. www.finansgundem.com. tr-TR.
  38. Web site: Welle (www.dw.com). Deutsche. AKP'li siyasetçilere yönelik PKK tehdidi artıyor DW 23.10.2016. 2020-10-20. DW.COM. tr-TR.
  39. Web site: DHA. Ak Parti Dicle ilçe başkanına suikast davası başladı. 2020-10-20. Hürriyet. 24 January 2018 . tr.
  40. Web site: Welle (www.dw.com). Deutsche. AKP Dicle İlçe Başkanı hayatını kaybetti DW 11.10.2016. 2020-10-20. DW.COM. tr-TR.
  41. Web site: Szakola. Albin. A top Kurdish commander has been assassinated near the Turkish border. 2020-10-20. Business Insider.
  42. Web site: sabah. daily. 2019-11-11. District governor still honored 3 years after assassination by PKK. 2020-10-20. Daily Sabah. en.
  43. Web site: Vatikan'da soğuk rüzgarlar! Papa görüşmeyi kabul etmedi. 2020-10-20. CNN Türk. October 2020 . tr.
  44. Web site: Kaymakam Safitürk suikastinin detayları ortaya çıktı. 2020-10-20. www.haberturk.com. 27 March 2017. tr.
  45. Web site: Şerif Mesutoğlu on hunger strike for 104 days. 2020-10-20. ANF News. en.
  46. Web site: 2 assassinations of PKK failed. 21 December 2016.
  47. Web site: PKK'nın Belediyeye Atanan Kayyuma Suikast Girişimi Elinde Patladı. 2020-10-20. Haberler.com. 21 December 2016. tr.
  48. Web site: Erbil şehidinin katiline idam. 2020-10-20. Sabah. tr.
  49. Web site: Erbil'deki Türk Diplomat Suikastında Bir Tutuklama Daha. 2020-10-20. Amerika'nin Sesi Voice of America - Turkish. 21 January 2020 . tr.
  50. Web site: Turkish consulate employee, 2 civilians killed in Erbil shooting: Security. 2020-10-20. www.kurdistan24.net.
  51. Web site: Iraqi Kurds accuse PKK of Turkish diplomat's murder. 2020-10-20. Middle East Eye. en.
  52. Web site: Turkey killed 'instigator' of diplomat's assassination, state news agency says. 2020-10-20. Middle East Eye. en.
  53. Web site: Suspect in Turkish diplomat assassination arrested. 2020-10-20. Ahval. en.
  54. Web site: 2019-07-17. Gunmen kill Turkish diplomat in Erbil. 2020-10-20. Al-Monitor. en.
  55. Web site: UAE denounces Turkish, Iranian violations in Iraq . 2020-10-20. AW. en.
  56. News: Turkish-led forces film themselves executing a Kurdish captive in Syria. Sly. Liz. Liz Sly. 13 October 2019. The Washington Post.
  57. Web site: Van Wilgenburg. Wladimir. 2020-06-23. Turkish drone strike kills 3 women in north Syria's Kurdish city of Kobani. 2020-06-24. www.kurdistan24.net.
  58. Web site: Turkey slammed for airstrike that killed three women in Syria. 2020-06-24. The Jerusalem Post JPost.com.
  59. Web site: Turkish drone strike kills three Kurdish women in Syria - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East. June 24, 2020. Al-Monitor.
  60. Web site: 2021-06-06. Erdogan says Turkey 'neutralised' PKK official in Iraq camp strike. 2021-06-14. Reuters.
  61. Web site: Senior PKK terrorist neutralized by Turkish forces: Erdogan.
  62. Web site: 2021-06-05. Turkish air strike kills at least three in refugee camp in Iraq. 2021-06-14. Reuters.
  63. Web site: Rudaw. 2021-08-18. Turkish airstrike on Shingal clinic killed 4 fighters, 4 health workers: statement. 2021-12-08. www.rudaw.net.
  64. Web site: Shakir. Layal. 2021-12-07. YBS official killed by Turkish airstrike: statement. 2021-12-08. www.rudaw.net.

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