Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) has recovered two of its senior officials who were abducted by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq in 2017. One officer, Erhan Pekçetin, returned alive, while the second, Aydın Günel, was confirmed deceased and later buried in Ankara, according to a report published Monday by journalist Abdülkadir Selvi in the Hürriyet daily.
Captured During Covert Mission in 2017
The two intelligence officers were reportedly conducting a covert operation in August 2017 when they were captured by the PKK. Pekçetin served as the head of MİT’s Department for Domestic Ethnic Separatist Activities, while Günel oversaw human resources for the agency’s domestic and foreign branches. Both were working under then-MİT director Hakan Fidan, who currently serves as Turkey’s Foreign Minister.
Reports indicate that the operation was based on intelligence suggesting PKK commander Cemil Bayık would be visiting a hospital in Sulaymaniyah. The mission was allegedly compromised following a tip-off to the PKK, reportedly by Lahur Talabani, then-head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) intelligence unit. Following their capture, the two officers were publicly identified by the PKK.
Years of Captivity and Limited Public Attention
The incident received limited coverage in Turkish media at the time and remained largely absent from political debate. While the Turkish government made multiple attempts to negotiate the release of the officers, these efforts were reportedly unsuccessful. Some media outlets and commentators claim that the PKK subjected the officers to interrogation during their captivity. The details and outcomes of such interrogations have not been publicly disclosed.
Disputed Circumstances of Death
The timeline and circumstances of Aydın Günel’s death remain unclear. Former opposition lawmaker Hüseyin Aygün stated on July 31 that Günel died while in captivity and was buried shortly after his family was notified. He also claimed that the family was not allowed to see the body.
Sociologist Veli Saçılık offered a different account, stating that Günel died of illness in 2022 and was buried in the Qandil region of northern Iraq, an area controlled by the PKK. According to Saçılık, the remains were later repatriated to Turkey. The PKK has not made a public statement regarding either account.
Developments Amid Peace Efforts
The return of the officers comes at a time of renewed dialogue between Turkish authorities and the PKK. In October 2024, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli publicly called on jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan to encourage the group to disarm. Öcalan reportedly responded in February 2025 by calling for the PKK to lay down its arms.
On July 11, a group of PKK members held a ceremony in Sulaymaniyah in which they publicly destroyed their weapons. The event was presented as part of a broader process aimed at ending the PKK’s armed campaign, which began in 1984 and has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths.
The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
