Turkish spy chief headed for Erbil, whisper KRG officials
Rumor has it that the head of Turkish intelligence is planning a trip to Erbil, where he would face an uphill struggle to free Turkish operatives allegedly held there and perhaps discourage the upcoming referendum on independence.
Turkey’s spy chief, Hakan Fidan, is planning to travel to the Iraqi Kurdish capital Erbil this week, part of a mission to push for the release of Turkish operatives who are being held by Kurdish militants and presumably also to seek to delay a referendum on Iraqi Kurdish independence, local officials speaking on strict condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor. They declined to elaborate, and a spokesman for Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) did not return Al-Monitor’s calls for comment.
If the reports are accurate, Fidan faces an uphill struggle on both counts. Officials from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) have assured Turkey that the two operatives, both Turkish nationals who were reportedly captured by rebels with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), would be released this month.
