Kurdish fighters say they will hand over remains of soldier to family

Kurdish fighters say they will hand over remains of soldier to family
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It has been claimed by Kurdish fighters affiliated with the PKK that they have the remains of a Turkish soldier killed in clashes, and that his identity has been confirmed.

While intense clashes between Turkish forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) since mid April, Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) armed wing HPG (People's Defense Forces) announced on Sunday that they had the remains of a Turkish soldier killed in a skirmish.

The HPG released a communication informing that they would hand the body of the soldier over to his family once they were contacted.

The HPG Communications Center said:

"The identity of a soldier who was killed in clashes on 7 July has been confirmed. His name is Naci Kaygisiz. It also came to our attention that the death of the soldier, a special operations trooper, has not been disclosed to the public in Turkey. Those who send these soldiers to invade Kurdistan do not claim their remains. So we call on the family of Naci Kaygisiz to let them know that we will hand the remains back with the assistance of civilians if the family wishes. They will be able to contact us through civilians in Amedi district of Duhok province in South Kurdistan."

Turkey's latest military campaign in KRI, dubbed "Claw-Lock" by Turkish authorities, was launched on 18 April.

The actual figures on the casualties of both sides remain unknown as the figures announced by both sides are highly controversial.