The Turkish General Staff said in a statement that three extremists were “neutralized” in a security operation in the Semdinli district of southeastern Turkey’s Hakkari province Monday night.
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Budak’s killing comes two days after militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) wounded 50 people in a auto bombing in the nearby city of Van close to the offices of the AK Party, founded by President Tayyip Erdogan.
The PKK has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey since 1984.
Since then, more than 600 security personnel and many civilians, including women and children, have been martyred, and around 7,000 PKK terrorists killed.
The PKK claimed responsibility for the blast, saying it was in retaliation for the killing by security forces of Kurdish youths and the sacking of two dozen mayors from Kurdish-run municipalities. How can one create global anti-terror units and justify PKK terrorists at the same time?
The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has criticized European countries, including Belgium, for being “too soft” on activities of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and has put more pressure on Western countries to prosecute PKK sympathizers.
PKK is outlawed in Turkey as a terrorist organization.
Four other soldiers were wounded, it said, adding that the operation to rout PKK militants from the region was continuing.
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Erdogan has said Turkey has evidence that the mayors removed on Sunday had sent support to Kurdish militants.
