VZCZCXRO5821
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0052/01 2581137
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151137Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4757
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1297
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1073
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1364
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 000052
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER PINR CASC
SUBJECT: SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: SEPTEMBER 04 - SEPTEMBER 10,
2009
1. THE FOLLOWING SECURITY INCIDENTS FOR THE PERIOD SEPTEMBER
4-10, 2009, WERE COMPILED BY THE SECURITY ASSISTANT AT CONSULATE
ADANA FROM RSO SOURCES, TO INCLUDE TURKISH SECURITY CONTACTS,
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND MEDIA REPORTS. SIMILAR REPORTS HAVE
PREVIOUSLY BEEN SHARED INFORMALLY BY E-MAIL. POST IS NOW
SENDING THIS INFORMATION IN CABLE FORMAT TO ENSURE WIDER AND
MORE REGULAR DISTRIBUTION. THE RSO USES THE INFORMATION TO
DETERMINE THE SECURITY SITUATION AND TRENDS OF VIOLENCE AND
CRIME THROUGHOUT TURKEY. THE RSO ALSO TRACKS THE INFORMATION BY
LOCATION AND SHARES THE INFORMATION WITH THE COUNTRY TEAM AND
VISAS VIPER COORDINATOR.
2. MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST THE KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY
(PKK) AS REPORTED BY THE TURKISH GENERAL STAFF:
A. WEAPONS, AMMUNITION, AND EQUIPMENT SEIZED:
DIYARBAKIR - 09.07.09: A HAND-MADE LANDMINE MADE OF 1.5
KILOGRAMS OF AMMONIUM NITRATE WAS FOUND AND DESTROYED ON SITE.
SIRNAK - 09.03.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED ONE PISTOL (7.62 MM),
ONE MAGAZINE, AND THREE HAND GRENADES.
HAKKARI - 09.03.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED ONE RPG-7 ROCKET
LAUNCHER, ONE BKC MACHINE GUN, NINE KALASHNIKOV INFANTRY RIFLES,
TWO MAGAZINES, 29 ROUNDS OF KALASHNIKOV INFANTRY RIFLE
AMMUNITION.
SIRNAK - 09.04.09: SECURITY FORCES FOUND AND DESTROYED A
LANDMINE.
SIRNAK - 09.03.09: SECURITY FORCES FOUND AND DESTROYED TWO
PRESSURE SENSITIVE HAND-MADE LANDMINES.
B. PKK MEMBERS CAPTURED OR SURRENDERED:
SIRNAK - 09.09.09: THREE TERRORISTS SURRENDERED.
BALIKESIR - 09.05.09: SECURITY FORCES CAPTURED ONE PKK MEMBER.
SANLIURFA - 09.07.09: SECURITY FORCES CAPTURED ONE PKK MEMBER.
HAKKARI - 09.09.09: SECURITY FORCES CAPTURED ONE PKK MEMBER.
HAKKARI - 09.10.09: SECURITY FORCES NEUTRALIZED TWO TERRORISTS
AND SEIZED TWO KALASHNIKOV INFANTRY RIFLES.
HAKKARI - 09.09.09: SECURITY FORCES NEUTRALIZED ONE PKK MEMBER
AND SEIZED ONE M-16 INFANTRY RIFE.
3. MEDIA REPORTS ON KURDISTAN WORKERS' PARTY (PKK) AND
PRO-KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS
A. PKK ATTACKS:
IT IS REPORTED THAT, DESPITE THE PKK'S INACTIVITY PERIOD, THE
ORGANIZATION'S TOP LEVEL HAS ORDERED ITS MEMBERS TO CARRY OUT
ACTION ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL INITIATIVE. WITH THIS METHOD, THE
ORGANIZATION AIMS TO INCREASE THE MORALE AND MOTIVATION OF ITS
MEMBERS. IN A SECRET REPORT PREPARED BY THE JIT (GENDARME
INTELLIGENCE), IT SAYS PKK IS IN PREPARATIONS TO CARRY OUT
SENSATIONAL ACTIONS AGAINST MILITARY OUTPOSTS LOCATED BY THE
TURKISH-IRANIAN-IRAQI BORDER LINE, IF OCALAN'S ROAD MAP IS NOT
APPROVED BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT. ACCORDING TO THE JIT'S
REPORT, DESPITE THE PKK'S PERIOD OF INACTIVITY, ALMOST 1000
PKKERS HAVE ALREADY INFILTRATED INTO TURKEY. THE REPORT
ALLEGEDLY SAID THERE WERE 400 PKKERS IN RURAL AREAS OF
SIRNAK-SIIRT, 300 PKKERS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OF TUNCELI,
250 PKKERS IN RURAL AREAS DIYARBAKIR-ERZURUM-BITLIS, AND 400
PKKERS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS IN HAKKARI.
VAN - 09.10.09: ONE SECURITY PERSONNEL WAS FATTALLY WOUNDED IN
A LANDMINE BLAST IN ALBAYRAK VILLAGE OF BASKALE DISTRICT. THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF TURKISH SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE PAST WEEK IS 11.
TUNCELI - 09.10.09: THREE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION MACHINES BELONGING
TO A ROAD WORK COMPANY WERE SET ON FIRE.
VAN - 09.09.09: TWO SOLDIERS WERE KILLED AND SEVEN TROOPS WERE
WOUNDED IN A LANDMINE BLAST.
HAKKARI - 09.08.09: ONE SECURITY PERSONNEL WAS KILLED.
SIIRT - 09.08.09: FIVE SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE KILLED AND THREE
SECURITY PERSONNEL WERE WOUNDED IN A CLASH.
HAKKARI - 09.04.09: ONE CIVILIAN WAS KIDNAPPED BY PKK MEMBERS.
B. ANTI-PKK OPERATIONS:
TURKEY WIDE - 01.01.09 - 09.04.09: FORTY-NINE ATTACKS WERE
CARRIED OUT BY THE PKK USING EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS SINCE THE START
ADANA 00000052 002 OF 003
OF 2009. 158.6 KILOGRAMS OF TNT, 64.1 KILOGRAMS OF PLASTIC
EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL, 2091.1 KILOGRAMS OF AMMONIUM/POTASSIUM
NITRATE, 42.4 KILOGRAMS OF UNKNOWN PLASTIC MATERIAL, 38 UNITS OF
LANDMINE, AND 71 UNITS OF OTHER TYPES OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIAL WERE
SEIZED OR DETONATED SAFELY BY TURKISH ARMED FORCES (TAF) IN THE
SAME PERIOD.
TURKEY WIDE - TURKISH ARMED FORCES (TAF) ANTI-PKK OPERATIONS
CONTINUE IN HAKKARI (09.08-09-10-11.09), DIYARBAKIR
(09.09-10-11.09),VAN (09.09-10-11.09), SIIRT (09.08-09-10.09),
BITLIS (09.07.09), AGRI (09.04-07.09), MARDIN (09.04.09), AND
HAKKARI (09.04.09).
HAKURK VALLEY OF NORTHERN IRAQ - 09.04.09: BASED ON
INTELLIGENCE THAT A GROUP OF PKK MEMBERS WERE LOCATED BY THE
IRANIAN AND IRAQI BORDERS, THE AREA WAS BOMBED BY TURKISH
ARTILLERY TEAMS.
C. ARRESTS:
HAKKARI - 09.10.09: DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY PARTY (DEMOKRATIK
TOPLUM PARTISI, OR DTP) MUNICIPALITY COUNCIL MEMBER HAMDI TASKIN
AND AN UNSPECIFIED DTP PROVINCIAL MEMBER WERE ARRESTED ON
CHARGES OF "ASSISTING AND HARBORING THE TERROR ORGANIZATION
PKK."
BINGOL - , 09.10.09: FOUR MEMBERS OF THE PRO-KURDISH YDG-M
(PATRIOTIC DEMOCRATIC YOUTH MOVEMENT) WERE ARRESTED ON CHARGES
OF "MAKING PROPAGANDA FOR THE TERROR ORGANIZATION PKK," AND
"ASSISTING AND HARBORING THE TERROR ORGANIZATION PKK."
CEYHAN IN ADANA - 09.10.09: NINE DTP MEMBERS WERE DETAINED ON A
CHARGE OF "COLLECTION OF MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC ON BEHALF OF THE
TERROR ORGANIZATION PKK." THE NINE DTP MEMBERS LATER WERE
RELEASED BY THE COURT DECISION.
BATMAN - 09.10.09: TWO MEMBERS OF THE PRO-KURDISH BKSM (BAHAR
CULTURE AND ART CENTER) WERE ARRESTED ON A CHARGE OF "MAKING
PROPAGANDA OF THE TERROR ORGANIZATION PKK."
SANLIURFA - 09.09.09: ONE PERSON, WHO JOINED IN NEVRUZ
CELEBRATIONS IN 2007 AND CHANTED SLOGANS IN FAVOR OF THE PKK
TERROR ORGANIZATION AND OCALAN, WAS ARRESTED ON A CHARGE OF
"MAKING PROPAGANDA OF THE TERROR ORGANIZATION PKK."
HAKKARI - 09.09.09: SECURITY FORCES DETAINED FOUR DTP MEMBERS,
INCLUDING DTP MUNICIPALITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SANLIURFA - 09.04.09: SECURITY FORCES DETAINED SEVEN DTPERS WHO
JOINED IN DTP'S PROTEST MARCH.
KAHRAMANMARAS - 09.06.09: SECURITY FORCES DETAINED 11 MEMBERS
OF THE PRO-KURDISH YDG.
SANLIURFA - 09.04.09: SECURITY FORCES DETAINED A MEMBER OF THE
PRO-KURDISH YDG-M.
OTHER:
ERZURUM - 09.10.09: TWO MLK-P MEMBERS (TURKISH COMMUNIST PARTY
/ MARXIST LENINIST), ARE ON TRIAL FOR "BEING A MEMBER OF A
TERROR ORGANIZATION."
IGDIR - 09.07.09: THREE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED OVER PLANS TO
ASSASSINATE KURDS. POLICE RAIDED A GROUP OF HOMES, ARRESTING
THREE PEOPLE ON CHARGES OF PLANNING TO ASSASSINATE KURDISH
POLITICIANS AND BUSINESSMEN AS PART OF EFFORTS TO SABOTAGE THE
GOVERNMENT'S RECENTLY ANNOUNCED DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE.
ACCORDING TO REPORTS, POLICE ARRESTED THREE PEOPLE WHO HAD
ALLEGEDLY FORMED A "DEATH SQUAD" TO KILL NOTABLE KURDISH
PERSONALITIES. THE RAIDS TOOK PLACE OVERNIGHT AT THE HOMES OF
M\CAHIT YALGIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE IGDIR BRANCH OF THE GREY
WOLVES ULTRANATIONALIST GROUP, AND TURAN CEVIK, THE FORMER HEAD
OF THE MELEKLI DISTRICT'S GREY WOLVES BRANCH. ALSO SEIZED WAS A
KALASHNIKOV RIFLE AND AMMUNITION.
MARDIN - 09.09.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED THREE LONG-RANGE
RIFLES IN BILGE VILLAGE OF THE MAZIDAGI DISTRICT, WHERE 44
PEOPLE WERE RECENTLY KILLED IN A FAMILY FEUD.
SIIRT - 09.08.09: A CHILD (AGE 14) WAS SENTENCED TO 3.1 MONTHS
IN PRISON ON A CHARGE OF "BEING MEMBER OF THE TERROR
ORGANIZATION PKK."
TURKEY WIDE - 09.08.09: SECURITY FORCES DETAINED 32 MLKP
MEMBERS IN SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS CONDUCTED IN EIGHT SEPARATE
PROVINCES INCLUDING ISTANBUL, CANAKKALE ANKARA, IZMIR, BURSA,
MALATYA, DIYARBAKIR AND TUNCELI. IT WAS REPORTED THE TERROR
ORGANIZATION MLKP WAS IN PREPARATIONS TO CARRYOUT ASSASSINATION
AND BOMBING ACTIONS AGAINST OFFICIAL AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
IN ITS SECOND STEP THE MLKP WAS REPORTEDLY PLANNING TO CREATE
ADANA 00000052 003 OF 003
ALEVI-SUNNI AND KURD-TURK CLASH DIYARBAKIR - 09.08.09: TWELVE
MEMBERS OF THE RADICAL ISLAMIC VASAT TERROR ORGANIZATION WERE
RELEASED IN A COURT DECISION.
MERSIN - 09.04.09: PKK SYMPATHIZERS CARRIED OUT ARSON ACTIONS.
FOUR VEHICLES WERE SET ON FIRE BY PKK-ALIGNED APO'S YOUTH
INITIATIVE. THE GROUP STATED ITS ATTACKS WOULD CONTINUE. MERSIN
- 09.06.09: PANEL OF THE MOBESE CAMERAS (TNP SECURITY
SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS) WAS ATTACKED BY UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE WITH
MOLOTOV COCKTAILS.
KAHRAMANMARAS - 09.06.09: SECURTY FORCES FOUND SEVEN LIGHT
ANTI-TANK WEAPONS (MKE/TURKISH MADE), 15 HAND GRENADES (U.S. AND
RUSSIAN MADE) AND A SMOKE BOMB.
SIRNAK - 09.04.09: TWO DEAD BODIES, THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN SHOT
EXECUTION STYLE, WERE FOUND IN KUSTEPE VILLAGE DURING THE
CONSTRUCTION OF A ROAD BETWEEN THE CIZRE AND IDIL DISTRICTS.
KUSTEPE WAS USED BY THE TURKISH HIZBAULLAH AS A BASE AFTER
FORCED MIGRATION IN 1991.
-----------------------
ILLEGAL MIGRANTS
-------------------
4. ILLEGAL MIGRANT ARRESTS:
09 SEPTEMBER - 10 SEPTEMBER 2009: SECURITY FORCES CAPTURED AND
DEPORTED 528 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS FROM THE FOLLOWING REGIONS: GREEK
BORDER, SYRIAN BORDER, IRANIAN BORDER, IRAQI BORDER, EDIRNE,
HAKKARI, AGRI, BALIKESIR, BURSA, KILIS, MUS SIRNAK, BITLIS, VAN,
KIRKLARELI, BALIKESIR AND CANAKKALE. SEVEN TURKS, WHO WERE
ASSISTING THE ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, WERE ALSO CAPTURED IN THE
OPERATIONS
--------------------------------------------- ------
COUNTER-NARCOTIC AND ANTI-CRIME OPERATIONS
--------------------------------------------- ------
5. MAJOR CRIMINAL OPERATIONS:
HACI BEG, XOY IN EAST KURDISTAN - 09.10.09: IRANIAN SECURITY
FORCES ATTACKED GAS SMUGGLERS WITH LONG-RANGE RIFLES AND ROCKET
LAUNCHERS. ALMOST 150 SMUGGLERS, WHO WERE PASSING FROM THE
IRANIAN BORDER TO YUKARI TURGALI VILLAGE OF THE OZALP DISTRICT
OF VAN, WERE ATTACKED BY IRANIAN FORCES. TWO SMUGGLERS WERE
CAPTURED, 11 WERE WOUNDED AND ALMOST 100 HORSES WERE KILLED IN
THE ATTACK.
6. COUNTER-NARCOTIC OPERATIONS:
BITLIS - 09.10.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED 300 GRAMS OF HEROIN
AND DETAINED 27 PEOPLE. ANTI-NARCOTIC OPERATION TO APPREHEND
ADDITIONAL PEOPLE IS CONTINUING.
SANLIURFA - 09.10.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED 800 GRAMS OF
HASHISH AND ONE PERSON WAS ARRESTED.
ELAZIG - 09.10.09: SECURITY FORCES CONFISCATED 12 KILOGRAMS OF
HASHISH.
DIYARBAKIR - 09.10.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED 525 KILOGRAMS OF
HASHISH IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND DETAINED 33 PEOPLE. FOURTEEN
DRUG GANGS WERE RAIDED BY SECURITY FORCES IN THE PAST 14 DAYS.
ADANA - 09.09.09: SECURITY FORCES CONFISCATED 35.5 KILOGRAM OF
HASHISH AND ARRESTED NINE PEOPLE.
SANLIURFA - 09.08.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED 216 KILOGRAMS OF
HASHISH AND ARRESTED THREE PEOPLE.
DIYARBAKIR - 09.08.09: SECURITY FORCES CAPTURED 46.130 GRAMS OF
HASHISH AND DETAINED ONE PERSON.
SANLIURFA - 09.05.09: SECURITY FORCES SEIZED 45 KILOGRAMS OF
HASHISH AND ARRESTED ONE PERSON.
VAN - 09.04.09: SECURITY FORCES CONFISCATED 68.177 GRAMS OF
HASHISH AND TWO TONS OF ACID ANHYDRIDE. TWO PEOPLE WERE DETAINED
AND OPERATIONS TO APPREHEND THREE ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS ARE
CONTINUING.
SANLIURFA - 09.06.09: SECURITY FORCES CONFISCATED 110.165 GRAMS
OF HASHISH AND ARRESTED FOUR PEOPLE.
DARNELL