Operation Murat

Operation Murat
Part of Kurdish–Turkish conflict
Date23 April – 7 May 1998[1]
Location
Triangle inside of the Diyarbakır, Bingöl and Bitlis districts.
Result

Operation Successful

  • All PKK militants inside the triangle are neutralized
Belligerents
Turkey Turkish Armed Forces PKK
Commanders and leaders
Turkey Nahit Şenoğul [tr][2] Mahmut Gün †[3]
Units involved

Amed Region Group

Şenyayla Group
Strength
Turkey 43,000 500
Casualties and losses
Turkey 26 personnel killed[4] 500+ killed or captured[5]

Operation Murat, named after the Murat River located in the region, was an operation concentrated in the Diyarbakir, Bingol and Bitlis triangle, mostly in the mountains located inside the triangle, against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization internationally by a number of states and organizations, including the United States, NATO and the EU.[6] With the participation of 40,000 personnel and 3,000 village guards, it is the largest military operation Turkey has conducted inside of its borders.[7] The operation lasted for two weeks and was centered on the Genç district[7] in the province of Bingöl. It was in the area where the Turkish military destroyed two PKK camps in the past.[7]

  1. ^ "The Invisible War in North Kurdistan (page 102)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  2. ^ "Son temizlik". 30 April 1998.
  3. ^ "Son temizlik". 30 April 1998.
  4. ^ https://www.21yyte.org/assets/uploads/files/Ter%C3%B6rle%20M%C3%BCcadelede%20Verdi%C4%9Fimiz%20%C5%9Eehitler%20Tarihe%20G%C3%B6re%20S%C4%B1ral%C4%B1%281%29.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  5. ^ "'Murat' operasyonu tam gaz". 2 May 1998.
  6. ^ "Council Decision", Council of the European Union, December 21, 2005
  7. ^ a b c Aydin, Aysegul; Emrence, Cem (23 April 2015). Zones of Rebellion: Kurdish Insurgents and the Turkish State. Cornell University Press. p. 115. ISBN 978-0-8014-5620-6.