Turkiye apprehends PKK ringleader in Portugal, eliminates eight militants in Iraq and Syria

Shafaq News/ Turkish authorities have captured Serdar Tunagur, the alleged ringleader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Portugal, during a joint operation conducted by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Istanbul police, security sources revealed on Sunday to Anadolu news agency.

Tunagur, accused of engaging in subversive activities and coordinating PKK operations in Portugal, was arrested in Istanbul.

Judicial authorities have since ordered his detention. Media reports indicate that Tunagur previously served in PKK-affiliated activities in rural Turkiye and the Makhmur camp in Iraq, a known stronghold of the group. Intelligence had reportedly been monitoring his movements for an extended period.

Separately, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the elimination of eight PKK and YPG militants in Syria and Iraq on Sunday. Four were neutralized in the Claw-Lock operation zone in northern Iraq, and four others in the Olive Branch and Peace Spring operation areas in northern Syria, according to the ministry's statement.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been engaged in an armed struggle against the Turkish state since the 1980s, seeking greater autonomy for the Kurdish population in Turkiye. This decades-long conflict has led to tens of thousands of deaths, with Turkiye conducting cross-border military operations to target PKK strongholds in Iraq and YPG positions in Syria.