Cablegate: Police Raid Leftists in Ten Istanbul Neighborhoods

VZCZCXRO0503
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHIT #2145 3421607
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081607Z DEC 06
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6436
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS ISTANBUL 002145

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV TU
SUBJECT: POLICE RAID LEFTISTS IN TEN ISTANBUL NEIGHBORHOODS

1. (SBU) On the afternoon and evening of December 7, Turkish
National Police (TNP) counter-terrorism (CT) units raided 10
addresses in Istanbul's Gazi, Kucukcekmece, Gultepe,
Okmeydani, Umraniye, Kartal, Sultanbeyli and Kucuk Armutlu
neighborhoods, arresting 20 suspects following a six month
investigation. During the police action in the Gazi
neighborhood, leftists reportedly gathered around a Alevi
religious center (Cemevi), built a makeshift barricade and
threw Molotov cocktails at police. The group was dispersed
by police but only after they overturned and set on fire two
cars.

2. (SBU) The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front
(DHKP/C) is a militant Marxist-Leninist party. It was
originally formed in 1978 as a splinter faction of Devrimci
Yol (Revolutionary Way), a splinter from the Turkish People's
Liberation Party - Front (THKP-C), itself a splinter from Dev
Genc. The group holds an anti-U.S., anti-NATO position and
considers the Turkish government to be under the control of
Western (U.S.) imperialism. They seek the violent overthrow
of the Turkish state. DHKP/C assassinated two U.S. military
peronnel in 1991 and wounded an Air Force officer. On
January 9, 1996, the group assassinated prominent Turkish
businessman Ozdemir Sabanci and two others. In February
2006, Fehriye Erdal was convicted in Belgium in connection
with the Sabanci assassination. While under house arrest
following conviction, she escaped.

3. (SBU) Simultaneous police raids in multiple neighborhoods
are unusual. These raids may be partially in response to
DHKP/C attacks on neighborhood bars and "centers of gambling
and prostitution" that took place on September 22 in
Kucukcekmece and other Istanbul neighborhoods. At the time
of the attacks on the bars, DHKP/C called for "collective
resistance movements" against "nationalist mafia gangs" who
they view as "collaborators with the oligarchy." Turks 35
and older have bitter memories of the street clashes between
the extreme left and right of the 1970s. Alevis are
frequently associated with left wing political parties, but
not necessarily extremists.
JONES

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