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Turkish intelligence and security services have captured an alleged ringleader for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) branch in Finland, as Ankara seeks to further clamp down on the group’s activities throughout Europe.
According to unnamed Turkish security sources cited by Turkish media, a joint operation led by the country’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and Istanbul’s police force apprehended and caught an Iranian national named Mehnaz Omari, code-named ‘Naze Ad’ in the city of Istanbul this week.
Omari reportedly organised events and protests in Finland in support of the PKK, was active in its recruitment and financing efforts, and also oversaw coordination between the group’s senior leaders and field members.
It comes at a time when Turkish authorities – which, along with the European Union and the United States, recognise it as a terrorist organisation – have increasingly been attempting to uncover the PKK’s activities, operations, and support networks throughout Europe and in particular Nordic nations such as Finland.
The capture of the alleged ringleader, according to the security sources, can aid in the uncovering of vital information regarding those matters, with Turkish authorities long having accused the group of infiltrating European countries by exploiting their policies, open societies, and legal gaps in order to recruit militants and finance its activities.