ANKARA 

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) neutralized a senior PKK/KCK terrorist during an operation in northern Iraq, security sources said on Thursday.

Terrorist Serkan Nazlier, sought under the most-wanted red category, was the so-called head of the group’s operations in the southeastern Türkiye's Hakkari province.

Nazlier was located as a result of operations conducted in Iraq's Hakurk region.

Codenamed "Sefkan Amed," the terrorist was the mastermind behind several terrorist attacks in Türkiye, and was responsible for selecting and directing the terrorists.

He was also among the planners of a rocket attack on a Turkish Armed Forces base in northern Iraq in 2019.

Turkish authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

Türkiye's wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange, and gray.

In its nearly 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK - listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU - has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.