Recent attacks attempted by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which were carried out by using explosive-laden model planes but were successfully thwarted by Turkish security forces in eight separate points in the southeastern province of Şırnak, marked a significant change in the tactics of the terror group.
Speaking exclusively to Yeni Şafak daily, Turkish expert on security and counterterrorism Abdullah Ağar evaluated the situation about the PKK’s new modus operandi that has been previously used by Daesh terrorists.
“Loading explosives onto model planes is a strategy that the PKK has copied from the Daesh terror organization. The PKK not only uses terrorists, who have blood on their hands, but also pro-PKK civilians and urban networks,” he said.
“PKK uses its soulmate Daesh’s tactics.”
More than 300 people have lost their lives in Daesh-claimed attacks in Turkey, where the terror organization has targeted civilians in suicide bomb, rocket and gun attacks.
Turkish security units foiled the plans of PKK terrorists to attack commemoration ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey in the Şırnak province on Saturday.
Model planes loaded with explosives were destroyed by security forces. The devices were to be used in terror attacks targeting the governorate building and military areas.
Underscoring the PKK’s desire to increase its networks in cities as well as rural areas, “When we look at the attempted attacks carried out by model aircrafts, we see that most of them were conducted in city centers and inhabited areas. The terror organization uses pro-PKK civilians and urban networks. This is why they would like to develop their urban structure: to hide amongst civilians,” he concluded.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
