The PKK, which has attacked security forces and civilians, particularly in Turkey’s east and southeast, augmented its activities after last year’s June 7 general election in which no party won a governing majority.
Media outlets aligned to the PKK identified political parties and politicians as targets while armed militants attacked the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and Huda-Par (Free Cause Party).
Naci Adiyaman, head of the AK Party’s youth branch in Beytussebap, Sirnak province in Turkey’s southeast, was killed after PKK terrorists kidnapped him on Aug. 13 this year.
Another AK Party figure — Ahmet Budak, a former parliamentary candidate in Hakkari province — was killed outside his home on Sept. 14.
Other attacks by the PKK against politicians over the past six years include:
– June 29, 2010: AK Party district chairman in Hakkari’s Yuksekova district, Ahmet Ucar, was targeted with a PKK hand grenade thrown at his home. No injuries were reported.
– July 2, 2012: Three armed PKK terrorists kidnapped AK Party district chairman of Van’s Gurpinar district, Hayrullah Tanis. He was released on Aug. 24.
– Sept. 3, 2012: Former AK Party provincial chairman of Hakkari, lawyer Mecit Tarhan, was kidnapped. He was released on Oct. 5 in Iraq.
– March 16, 2014: AK Party municipal election candidate in Van, Zeki Karakus and four other party members were assaulted while campaigning.
– April 17, 2014: PKK members kidnapped former local municipal AK Party head, Abit Dogruer along with three others in Diyarbakir’s Dicle district. They were released on April 20.
– May 17, 2014: PKK terrorists attempted to kidnap Huda-Par members Ali Ayik and Mikail Ayik, in Diyarbakir’s Dicle district. The incident was stopped by locals but three people were wounded during the struggle.
– Oct. 17, 2014: Sixty-six-year-old tradesmen Mehmet Latif Sener — known to be a Huda-Par follower — was assassinated in a street attack. Two terrorists were caught while trying to flee to a PKK mountain base.
– June 5, 2015: AK Party district chairman of Erzurum’s Karayazi district, Servet Tutkun, was kidnapped and assaulted. He was released the same day.
– March 29, 2016: AK Party district chairman of Erzurum’s Ispir district, Salih Zeki Cetinkaya, was kidnapped on the Bingol-Diyarbakir motorway while he and his brother travelled to Sanliurfa. Cetinkaya escaped two days later.
– Aug. 13, 2016: Naci Adiyaman, head of the AK Party youth branch in Sirnak’s Beytussebap was kidnapped; his dead body was found later.
– Sept. 1, 2016: PKK members kidnapped and assassinated 29-year-old Menderes Ozer, an AK Party member and the son of a former village guard association chairman.
– Sept. 10, 2016: Explosives left by the PKK were found at the family grave of Kurdish-origin AK Party deputy chairman, Mehdi Eker Eker.
– Sept. 14, 2016: Ahmet Budak, former AK Party parliamentary candidate in Hakkari province, was killed outside his home in front of his son.
