Turkey: Neutralized PKK terrorist was on wanted list

By Muhammed Boztepe

ANKARA

One of the three PKK terrorists neutralized in eastern Turkey was on the Interior Ministry’s gray list, the ministry said on Friday.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply the terrorists in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

Omer Erdemir, codenamed Bruks Belati, was killed on Aug. 3 while he was planting a road-side bomb in Hakkari province, according to the Interior Ministry statement.

Erdemir was a senior figure in the terror group and had a bounty of 300,000 Turkish liras ($45,500) on his head, the statement said.

The Interior Ministry'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 more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including women and children.