Caller claiming to be 'Yeşil' reaches out to Saygı Öztürk: 'We could have eliminated Öcalan, but we were betrayed'

A person claiming to be Mahmut Yıldırım, known by the codename "Yeşil"—one of the first names that comes to mind when discussing unsolved murders—asserted that he lives in a region near Turkey in Syria and that the state is aware of his location.

Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk reported that the person who called him on the phone and said "I am Yeşil" stated that they were "betrayed" during an attempted car bombing assassination against PKK terrorist organization leader Abdullah Öcalan in Damascus. He also wrote that the same person claimed to have been released after being captured in Konya following an order he received.

In his column today, Öztürk stated that the person claiming to be Mahmut Yıldırım, whose whereabouts have been a subject of debate for years, called the newspaper and had a phone conversation with him.

The journalist stated that the caller made remarkable statements on various topics, ranging from the assassination plot against PKK leader Öcalan to the claim that he was captured in Konya and "released by order."

Öztürk recalled that Mahmut Yıldırım, codenamed "Yeşil," was known as "one of the leading names whose name always came to the fore in unsolved murders in the Southeast." He wrote that it was alleged Yıldırım worked for the Gendarmerie, the MIT (National Intelligence Organization), and the police at different times, that he was described as driving around in a white Renault Toros, and that he had not been heard from since being summoned by an institution in 1997.

CALLED SAYING "I AM YEŞİL"

Öztürk reported that the number calling him could not speak during the first attempt, and the conversation took place during a second call about half an hour later, sharing the words: "He called again half an hour later. He said, 'I am Yeşil'."

Stating that he asked questions based on some files he had written in the past to understand if it was really Mahmut Yıldırım, Öztürk reported that the person he spoke with said he was born in 1953. The person used the expression, "He explained that he had a liver transplant and that his health was not good." He stated that the transplant was carried out under another name, mentioned a "famous name" who helped him during this process, said he lived in Azerbaijan for many years, and is currently "with a trusted nationalist friend" in a region in Syria close to the Turkish border.

"WE WERE BETRAYED IN THE ABDULLAH ÖCALAN ASSASSINATION"

Öztürk wrote that the person on the phone also spoke about some events attributed to him. Regarding the claim that retired Major Cem Ersever was killed by him, the person used the words, "The rumors that I killed him are purely a Köroğlu legend."

The same person made the following statements regarding the assassination attempt against PKK terrorist organization leader Abdullah Öcalan:

"Yes, we were going to kill Abdullah Öcalan with a car bomb at the house where he was staying in Damascus. In this incident, along with me, there was a woman, two first lieutenants, a person whose name I do not want to give who was brought from the Bursa Special Type Prison, and another friend of ours. While it was actually possible for us to eliminate Abdullah Öcalan there, we were betrayed. It was a failed assassination attempt. The whole plan fell apart when the Syrian intermediary helping us parked far away."

"I WAS CAPTURED IN KONYA, RELEASED BY ORDER"

According to what Öztürk wrote, the person who introduced himself as Yeşil claimed that he entered Turkey during a period when he thought his appearance had changed and was captured in Konya. Regarding this incident, he reported that the person said, "I was released upon an order given to them." When asked who gave the order, he did not specify any names.

The same person claimed that he received support from former MIT Undersecretary and Gendarmerie General Commander Teoman Koman, and that the claims that he and Abdullah Çatlı were on bad terms did not reflect the truth. In his assessment of the period of struggle against the PKK terrorist organization, he used the following expression:

"During the struggle against the PKK, the Hezbollah organization was supported by the State, especially in provinces and districts, and was used against the PKK. The establishment of Hezbollah at that time was a success. The PKK was made to suffer very heavy casualties."