Turkish soldier, PKK leader killed in clashes

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Turkey has announced the death of a Turkish soldier as a result of clashes with militants pertaining to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Van, Turkey.

Turkish intelligence has launched an operation in northern Syria to eliminate a number of organizations in the region that Turkey classified as "terrorist groups."

Necdet Daglarer, a leader of the PKK, was neutralized in the operation, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency via Twitter.

Necdet Dağlarer, code-named Geli Serhat, a member of the terrorist organization PKK/YPG, and 2 terrorists were killed in a Turkish intelligence (MIT) operation in the Tal Tamr area, Syria. pic.twitter.com/T4TqWtptaV

— Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) October 14, 2022

On September 27, Ankara accused the PKK of carrying out an armed attack on a police station in the Mezitli district in Mersin, Turkey. One policeman died in the attack, in addition to the injury of four civilians, according to a statement by the Turkish Ministry of Interior. 

The ministry also confirmed that "Turkish police killed the 2 terrorists that attacked the police station."

Read next: Two Syrian children killed, six injured in Turkish aggression

It is worth noting that Turkey had launched a cross-border military offensive against PKK militants in northern Iraq in an operation that was officially announced on April 18. The operation drew condemnation from Iraq, with the presidency saying that Ankara's operation "poses a threat" to Iraqi national security. 

Turkey seeks extraditions from Finland, Sweden under NATO deal

In June, Turkey announced that it would seek the extradition of 33 alleged Kurdish militants and "coup plot" suspects from Sweden and Finland as part of an agreement to secure Ankara's support for the Nordic countries' NATO membership bids.

Erdogan declared victory after securing a 10-point agreement in which the two countries agreed to join Turkey's "fight against banned Kurdish militants and to quickly extradite suspects."

Turkey put the agreement to the test right away when it announced that it would seek the extradition of 12 suspects from Finland and 21 from Sweden. "We ask them to fulfill their promises," Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said in a statement.

The unidentified suspects were identified as members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) by Turkey and a group led by a preacher whom Erdogan blames for a failed coup attempt in 2016.

The agreement also states that Sweden and Finland will "not provide support" to the YPG.