Operation Murat

Operation Murat
Part of Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Location of Hakkâri within Turkey
Date April-May 1998[1] Location South-Eastern Turkey Result Security Forces fail to capture Murat Karayılan
Belligerents
Turkey	PKK
Commanders and leaders
24 Generals[1]	Murat Karayılan
Strength
40,000[1]	450[1]
Casualties and losses
3+ killed 1 aircraft downed	58+ killed 4+ captured

Operation Murat, which was launched on 23 April 1998^[2], by the Military of Turkey against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Turkey's South-Eastern Hakkâri Province. It is said to have been the largest Turkish military operation in the entire Kurdish–Turkish conflict or even the largest Turkish military operation since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.^[1]

The Turkish military used 40,000 troops to pursue 450 Kurdish guerillas led by Murat Karayılan.^[1] Turkish forces however failed to kill or capture Karayılan after they cornered him in Kulp, Diyarbakir, in May.^[3]

During the first three days of the operation, there were clashes in Diyarbakir, Bingöl, Muş and Bitlis. Within Diyarbakir province, the clashes were concentrated around Kulp, Lice and Hani and in Bingöl Province, they were centered around Genç. The military declared they killed 58 militants, captured 3 militants and lost 3 security forces during the first three days. Militants downed a military plane in Kulp, where after an Armenian businessman was detained.^[4]

Pro-PKK sources have alleged that former PKK military commander Şemdin Sakık aided Turkish forces during the operation, after he had left the PKK to join forces with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, an Iraqi Kurdish party that cooperated with Turkey against the PKK.^[5]

See Also

• October 2007 clashes in Hakkâri

References

v d e Kurdish–Turkish conflict History · Peace talks Participants Republic of Turkey · Kurdistan Democratic Party (between 1996-1998) Kurdistan Workers Party · Kurdistan Freedom Falcons · Kurdistan Democratic Party/North · Revolutionary Party of Kurdistan · Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan Military Operations Operations in Iraq: Northern Iraq (1992) · Steel (1995) · Hammer (1997) · Dawn (1997) · Sun (2008) · Hell (2011) Others Şırnak (1992)  · Kulp (1992)  · Winter Campaign (1994-1995)  · Varto (1996)  · Murat (1998)  · Uludere (2011) Insurgent attacks 1984–1999 Eruh (1984)  · Taşdelen (1992)  · Elazığ-Bingöl Highway (1993)  · Başbağlar (1993) · Sazak (1997) · Istanbul (1999) 2004–2008 Kuşadası (2005)  · Ankara (2007) · Dağlıca (2007) · Diyarbakır (2008) · Istanbul (2008) · Reşadiye (2009) · Hakkâri (2010) · Istanbul (2010) See Also Abdullah Öcalan, Cemil Bayık, Murat Karayılan, Bahoz Erdal, Mustafa Karasu, Duran Kalkan, Zübeyır Aydar, Haji Ahmadi, Osman Öcalan, Mahsum Korkmaz, Nizamettin Taş, Mazlum Doğan, Muhammad Mustafa Media outlets: MED TV (1990-2004), Roj TV (2004-present) Timeline