On September 26, 2022, two female militants of the armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party carried out an attack on a police compound south of Mersin city, which, according to CCTV footage, incorporated several explosions and an armed clash with police forces. Five days later, a paramotor found in the south of Tarsus District was said to have been used by the assailants to infiltrate the country from Syria. The attack resurfaced the use of powered paragliders by armed Kurdish groups, first documented a few years ago. Thus far, the role of the PPGs has been limited by the Kurds mainly as a means to cross the border into Turkey. Notwithstanding, the appearance of PPGs in this arena in a militant context poses a challenge to Turkey’s security, whereas for the Kurds, it represents a milestone in the development of a new military capability that potentially can also be modified for offensive objectives.
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