feb 15, 1999 - Capture of Abdullah Öcalan

Description:

Abdullah Öcalan also known as Apo short for both Abdullah and "uncle" in Kurdish), is a Kurdish nationalist and one of the founding members of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Öcalan was based in Syria from 1979 to 1998. He helped found the PKK in 1978, and led it into the Kurdish–Turkish conflict in 1984. For most of his leadership, he was based in Syria, which provided sanctuary to the PKK until the late 1990s.

After being forced to leave Syria, Öcalan was abducted in Nairobi in 1999. He was captured while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, in an operation by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (Turkish: Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı , MIT) reportedly with the help of the CIA. Following the capture of Öcalan, the Greek Government entered in turmoil over Öcalans capture and Pangalos and other ministers resigned from their posts.

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