INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Se Turkey Security Incidents: September 22 - October 4,

Published: Fri 9 Oct 2009 12:52 PM
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R 091252Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
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INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1313
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 000059
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, INR AND NEA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER PINR CASC
SUBJECT: SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: SEPTEMBER 22 - OCTOBER 4,
2009
1. The following security incidents for the period of September
22 - October 4, 2009 were compiled from RSO sources by the
Security Assistant at Consulate Adana, 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 - 09.23.09: 1 flamethrower was found and destroyed.
Diyarbakir - 09.25.09: 1 pair of night-vision goggles, 40 rounds
of Kalashnikov infantry rifle ammunition, 2 backpacks, various
organizational documents, medical equipment and food supplies.
Hakkari - 09.26.09: 2 MG-3 machine guns, 1 MG-3 machine gun
barrel, 1 rocket launcher, 7 RPG-7s, 1 BKC machine gun magazine,
1 Kalashnikov infantry rifle, 1 M-16 machine gun, 1 Kanas sniper
rifle, 4 G-3 infantry rifles, 12 G-3 infantry rifle magazines, 1
anti-personnel landmine (destroyed), 935 rounds of MG-3
ammunition, 1 light mine and 1 rifle.
Bitlis - 09.27.09: 1 IED was found and destroyed. 1 M-16
infantry rifle, 1 Kalashnikov rifle, 34 rounds of M-16 infantry
rifle ammunition, 77 rounds of Kalashnikov infantry rifle
ammunition, 2 M-16 magazines, 2 Kalashnikov magazines, 2 hand
grenades, 1 wireless device, 6 cell phones, 4 cell phone memory
cards, 1 radio, and 3 backpacks.
Hakkari - 09.28.09: 5 anti-personnel landmines were found and
destroyed.
Mardin - 09.29.09: 2 hand grenades and binoculars.
B. PKK members captured or surrendered:
SE Turkey - 09.26 - 10.02.09: Security forces captured 8 PKK
members. 1 was recovered dead, 6 captured alive and 1
surrendered to security officials.
Diyarbakir - 10.01.09: 1 PKK member was captured and later
released by court decision.
Hakkari - 09.22.09: 1 civilian was killed in a landmine blast.
Bingol - 09.23.09: 1 PKK member surrendered to security forces.
Mus - 09.25.09: 1 PKK member was captured.
Igdir - 09.25.09: 1 PKK member was captured.
Bitlis - 09.27.09: 1 PKK member was recovered dead and 1 PKK
member was captured alive.
Sanliurfa - 09.28.09: 1 PKK member was captured.
Hakkari - 09.28.09: 1 PKK member was captured and released by
court decision.
Diyarbakir - 09.29.09: 2 PKK members were captured.
Sirnak - 09.30.09: 1 PKK member surrendered to security forces.
3. Media reports on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and
pro-Kurdish organizations
A. PKK attacks:
Van - 09.22.09: PKK members attacked a military patrol team.
There was no loss of life or property in the incident.
Hakkari - 09.22.09: PKK members attacked a military patrol team.
There was no loss of life or property in the incident.
Hakkari - 09.23.09: PKK members attacked security forces
patrolling the Semdinli mountains. 1 security personnel was
wounded.
Sirnak - 09.27.09: 1 civilian was killed and 1 wounded in a
landmine blast.
Hakkari - 09.30.09: A landmine explosion near a military convoy
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did not result in loss of life or property damage.
Sirnak - 10.01.09: 1 soldier was killed.
Siirt - 10.04.09: PKK members temporarily blocked the 15th km of
the Siirt-Sirvan highway when they fired over 150 rounds from
long-range rifles, wounding 1 driver and setting 1 truck on
fire.
B. Anti-PKK operations:
Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) operations are continuing in almost
all east and SE provinces.
C. Arrests:
Sanliurfa - 09.24.09: 2 DTP members were sentenced to a year in
prison on charges of "making propaganda for the terror
organization PKK."
Hakkari - 09.24.09: Security forces detained 2 people who joined
in illegal street demonstrations.
Adana - 09.24.09: Security forces detained 16 people who were
preparing to join a pro-Kurdish meeting in Diyarbakir. The 16
people later were released.
Hakkari - 09.24.09: Security forces detained 2 people on
suspicion of terrorism.
Adana - 09.29.09: A 16-year-old minor was detained by
anti-terror teams.
Van - 09.26.09: Security forces detained 3 people on the
suspicion of terrorist activities.
Sirnak - 09.28.09: 1 PKK member was arrested.
Van - 09.29.09: Security forces captured five people who were
taking various logistical, food and medical materials to the PKK
members in the mountains. Three were later arrested on charges
of "assisting and harboring the PKK terror organization
voluntary and intentionally."
Tunceli - 09.29.09: Security forces detained a person who was
delivering pro-PKK/Ocalan leaflets. Clashes erupted when police
and SWAT Teams wanted to search a room at DTP's Municipality
Guest House where the detained person was staying. Almost 300
people clashed with police. According to information taken by
the Consulate Security Assistant from a police chief in Tunceli,
people misunderstood the operation. The Tunceli Security
Director said, "Tension rose when anti-terror and SWAT teams
took the guest house under siege. It was a normal procedure,
but when DTPers saw many policemen around the building they
thought that the operation was directed against them."
Adana - 09.30.09: 5 minors (ages 14, 15, 16) were sentenced to a
total of 20 years in prison on the charge of "carrying out
illegal action on behalf of the terror organization PKK."
Batman - 09.30.09: 1 person was arrested on the charge of
"making propaganda for the terror organization PKK."
Sanliurfa - 09.30.09: Security forces detained a person who
attacked a police patrol vehicle with a Molotov cocktail.
Police seized 18 unexploded Molotov cocktails in the operation.
The person later was arrested.
Sanliurfa - 09.30.09: Security forces detained 6 people on the
suspicion of terrorism.
Adana - 09.30.09: 5 minors were arrested on charges of "being
member of a terror organization" and "making propaganda for the
terror organization PKK."
Diyarbakir - 09.30.09: 5 people, including DTP Hani District
Chairman Husnu Bulbul, were sentenced to 9 years in prison on
charges of "assisting and harboring the PKK terror organization
voluntary and intentionally."
Diyarbakir - 09.30.09: Security forces detained an employee of
the pro-Kurdish "Koz Magazine."
Diyarbakir - 10.01.09: Security forces detained 15 members of
the Devrimci Karargah (Revolutionary Headquarters) in operations
held in Diyarbakir, Istanbul, Aydin Denizli and Ankara. It was
reported that the suspects were in preparations to carryout
actions including plane hijackings, assassinations, and arson
attacks. 8 of 15 people were later arrested on the charge of
"being member of a terror organization."
Diyarbakir - 10.01.09: 2 PKK members, who were captured in Lice
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District, were arrested on charges of "being member of a terror
organization."
Mersin - 10.01.09: Security forces detained 3 people on the
suspicion of terrorism.
Sirnak - 10.01.09: Security forces detained 2 people on the
suspicion of terrorism.
D. Other:
Security Alert: October 9 is the anniversary of Abdullah
Ocalan's deportation from Syria. There is the possibility of
increased activities by the PKK or pro-PKK groups and
individuals.
09.24.09: The PKK declared it will evaluate whether to extend or
end the ceasefire, saying it depends on the TAF's operations.
09.24.09: National Intelligence Agency (MIT) warned all security
units in the east and southeast about a possible increase in
provocative acts by the PKK.
09.29.09 - DTP Mus Parliamentarian Sirri Sakik says there are
almost 5000-6000 armed PKK members in the mountain areas.
09.28.09 - Al-Qaeda has threatened Turkey, which is poised to
take over the commandership duty in Kabul, Afghanistan.
10.01.09: Elazig TNP's Deputy Director believes the PKK is
losing power, especially in the mountainous terrain of east and
southeast Turkey. However, he expects an increase in minor
disruptive actions throughout the country, such as slashing
tires, illegal street demonstrations, or Molotov cocktail and
stone attacks.
10.02.09 - Tunceli's TNP director expects an increase in PKK
actions. Tunceli TNP's Deputy Director told the Consulate's
Security Assistant, "PKK's actions may increase if the
government's Kurdish opening stalls and the developments do not
satisfy the DTP or other groups."
10.02.09: According to information taken from security chiefs in
southeast Turkey, almost all gendarme and police check points
have been removed due to a new focus on intelligence. One of the
chiefs said, "Instead of stopping hundreds of vehicles for
hours, the police are going to focus on intelligence reports and
stop only specific vehicles"
Hakkari - 09.23.09: A bomb exploded in a shopping mall, wounding
4 civilians. According to police sources, the target of the bomb
was a police shuttle bus, whose route passes near the explosion
point. The bus was 10 minutes late that day, so no police were
wounded in this explosion.
Hakkari - 09.23-24.09: Security forces clashed with PKK
supporters demanding the release of the bodies of PKK members
killed in security operations. Police intervened in with tear
gas and water cannons and demonstrators responded with stones.
Van - 09.25.09: Security forces seized and destroyed 15 Molotov
cocktails near a high school.
Diyarbakir - 09.25.09: AK Party's Provincial Building was
attacked by PKK supporters with stones. Security forces
intervened with tear gas and sticks. Demonstrators threw Molotov
cocktails.
Sanliurfa - 09.27.09: Police opened fire in the air as they
intervened in a PKK demonstration. Protesters burned tires,
chanted illegal slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan, and threw
stones and Molotov cocktails.
Diyarbakir - 09.27.09: 3 bank branches were attacked by Molotov
cocktails.
Sanliurfa - 09.27.09: Police intervened in a demonstration in
favor of PKK and Ocalan with sticks, pressurized water and tear
gas. Demonstrators responded with Molotov cocktails and stones.
Adana - 09.27.09: A house was attacked with a Molotov cocktail.
09.28.09: The investigation into the murder of 3 Christian
missionaries in Malatya on April, 18, 2007 uncovered the
gendarme was still paying informants about alleged missionary
activities after the massacre.
Adana - 09.28.09: 2 parked vehicles in Sehit Duran Parish were
set on fire by unidentified people.
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Van - 09.29.09: DTP led protests against police pressure and
anti-DTP operations in Van, Hakkari, Igdir, Mus, Sirnak,
Tunceli, Diyarbakir and Batman.
Van - 09.29.09: A security guard at Van's Yuzunci Yil University
was shot dead by unidentified people.
Mus - 09.29.09: Security forces confiscated 20 village guards'
weapons on the charge of "hiding a PKK member and not informing
security forces."
Hakkari - 10.01.09: DTP's Mayor is on trial on the charge of
making propaganda for a terror organization.
Hatay - 10.02.09: DTP's Iskenderun District building was
attacked with stones.
Tunceli - 10.03.09: A shepherd escaped unhurt from a mortar
attack. 9 animals were killed in the blast.
4. Illegal migrant arrests:
09.22-10.01.09: Security forces captured and deported 945
illegal migrants from the following regions: Aegean Coast, Greek
Border, Iraqi Border, Iranian Border, Igdir, Van, Edirne, Hatay,
Hakkari, Adana, Syrian Border, Trabzon, Sirnak, Canakkale,
Erzurum, Izmir, Agri, Yalova, Balikesir, Diyarbakir, Istanbul,
Tekirdag. 19 Turks, who were assisting them, were also detained
in the operations.
5. Anti-crime operations:
Kars - 09.23.09: Security forces seized 4 smuggled pistols and
arrested 4 people.
Mardin - 09.23.09: Security forces seized 29 long-range rifles
and 110 rounds of ammunition in a truck and detained 3 people.
Van - 09.29.09: Security forces seized 29,000 boxes of smuggled
cigarettes and detained 1 person.
6. Counter-narcotic operations:
Van - 09.28.09: Security forces seized 65 kilograms of heroin
and detained 1 person.
Batman - 09.29.09: Security forces seized 40 kilograms of
hashish and arrested 6 people.
Van - 10.01.09: Iranian troops opened fire on 2 gas smugglers,
wounding both of them.
Bingol - 10.01.09: Security forces seized 50 kilograms of
hashish and 135 units of Indian hemp seeds. 1 person was
arrested.
Hatay - 10.01.09: Security forces seized 6 kilograms of hashish
and arrested 2 people.
Sanliurfa - 10.05.09: Security forces seized 20 kilograms of
hashish and detained 2 people.
Diyarbakir: Security forces seized 11 kilograms of hashish and
detained 3 people.
DARNELL
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