PKK's decisive influence over YPG verified as senior leader acknowledges terrorist organization's involvement in Afrin operations
In early April 2021, a covert Turkish operation took place in northern Iraq, leading to the death of the PKK's Syria general commander, Nurettin Sofi. The exact date of the operation has been a subject of conflicting reports, with some sources suggesting it occurred on April 6, 2021, while others indicate a broader timeframe in early 2021.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan officially announced on May 17, 2021, that Sofi was killed in a cross-border operation conducted by Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in northern Iraq. The operation was the result of long-term intelligence work by MIT, which successfully pinpointed Sofi’s location.
Sofi was a high-level target for Turkey, having been responsible for numerous attacks on Turkish soldiers, including ambushes during military campaigns such as Euphrates Shield (2016–2017) and Olive Branch (2018) in Syria. He was also implicated in ordering the execution of 13 Turkish hostages during the Gara operation in northern Iraq in February 2021.
Following the fall of the Assad regime, Türkiye has repeatedly called on the PKK/YPG to dissolve or face potential military operations. Ankara views the PKK/YPG presence near its border as a direct threat to national security and has consistently urged Washington to withdraw support for the YPG.
The U.S. ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, acknowledged that the SDF is an offshoot of the PKK. Barrack stated that Washington does not support any bid for autonomy or statehood by the SDF/YPG in Syria. The Turkish government maintains that the SDF is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, which both the U.S. and Türkiye designate as a terrorist organization.
Successive U.S. administrations have regarded the SDF as their primary partner in fighting Daesh in Syria, despite Turkish objections. The SDF was a spin-off of PKK that Washington allied with to fight Daesh. Turkish officials have signaled the possibility of new military operations if PKK/YPG forces remain outside of a central Syrian authority after any peace deal.
Nurettin Sofi, wanted by INTERPOL, served as the PKK/KCK's "Syrian general officer" overseeing the YPG/PYD from 2015 to 2020. The Turkish Ministry of Defense stated that the YPG/PYD is the Syrian extension of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization.
Despite the different exact dates, the broader timeline is consistent: the Turkish covert operation occurred in northern Iraq in early 2021, culminating in Sofi’s neutralization, which Turkey publicly confirmed in May 2021. The operation was intelligence-driven, cross-border, and targeted at a top PKK commander directly involved in attacks against Turkish forces and hostages.
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey (Türkiye), announced on May 17, 2021, that Nurettin Sofi, the Syria general commander of the PKK, was killed in a cross-border operation conducted by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in northern Iraq.
- Sofi was a high-level target for Turkey due to his involvement in numerous attacks on Turkish soldiers, including ambushes during military campaigns in Syria, and the ordering of the execution of 13 Turkish hostages during the Gara operation in northern Iraq in February 2021.
- The Turkish government has consistently urged Washington to withdraw support for the YPG, which Ankara views as the PKK's Syrian extension and a direct threat to national security.
- Nurettin Sofi served as the PKK/KCK's "Syrian general officer" overseeing the YPG/PYD from 2015 to 2020, and the YPG/PYD is deemed by the Turkish Ministry of Defense as the Syrian extension of the PKK/KCK terrorist organization.
- Following the covert Turkish operation in northern Iraq that resulted in Sofi's death, the Turkish government maintains the possibility of new military operations if PKK/YPG forces remain outside of a central Syrian authority after any peace deal.
