An Australian nurse accused of being part of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has been arrested in Turkey as she attempted to board a flight home from Istanbul Airport.
The PKK is considered a Kurdish militant political organisation and is deemed a terrorist organisation by nations and entities, including Australia, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
The Australian government lists the PKK as an ideologically motivated, violent extremist organisation that aims to monopolise Kurdish political power, including by attacking the interests of rival political parties.
The PKK was founded in 1978 and is based on Marxist and Leninist ideals.
It is estimated the group has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party founder and leader, Abdullah Ocalan, is currently serving life imprisonment in Turkey.
The publication claimed she had participated in actions and activities carried out on behalf of the PKK in Australia and had been in contact with high-level members of the group.
The 51-year-old holds an Australian passport under the name of Lenna Aslan.
The Daily Sabah claimed Aslan had been serving as co-chair of a PKK-linked group in Australia and was active in events organised in Melbourne, where it is alleged she served as a mouthpiece for the terrorist group.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Aslan, detained in Turkey.
“Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment,” a department spokesperson said.
She also said she has since been made aware of a second Australian who had been arrested on their way home in connection with the same group since Aslan was apprehended.
Bolton made headlines in November 2023 after moving a motion to fly the Palestinian flag over the Merri-bek council chambers in Melbourne’s north, just weeks after the listed terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel and killed and kidnapped more than 1,000 Israelis.
Incidents Claimed by the PKK
According to the Australian government, the PKK has been responsible for multiple incidents, including the death of seven civilians and injury of 10 on Sept. 12, 2019. The incident happened when an explosive device detonated in south-east Turkey, with the PKK claiming it had targeted “spies.”In an incident on March 31, 2020, a suicide bombing damaged a natural gas pipeline between Turkey and Iran, with the PKK taking credit for killing at least 30 Turkish soldiers who were guarding the line.
Then on Oct. 28, 2020, the PKK attacked and destroyed an oil pipeline in Turkey’s Mardin province.
