Erdogan says Turkey has killed ISIS leader in Syria Operation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared on Sunday that Turkey’s intelligence services had killed the ISIS head in Syria. He said that the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) had been watching Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini Al-Qurshi for quite some time and that he had been eliminated during a recent mission in Syria.

President Erdogan underlined that Turkey would continue its battle against terrorism without special consideration for any organisation. He further argued that the security of Europe was dependent on Turkey’s endeavours in this area, even if Europe was mostly unaware of it.

After the death of his predecessor, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashmi al-Qurayshi, who was assassinated in Syria by the Free Syrian Army last October, al-Qurshi was chosen as the new ISIS leader. Although little was known about Al-Qurshi, ISIS described him as a skilled fighter.

Erdogan made the news regarding the killing of the ISIS leader after a brief break from media coverage due to illness. According to media sources, his health was worsening just two weeks before a crucial election. The rumours surfaced after Erdogan abruptly left his chair during a live interview on Tuesday, citing a “serious stomach illness.” His doctors urged Erdogan to rest at home and, as a result, cancelled several public appearances recently.