ARMENIA: SMALL KURDISH DEMONSTRATION FOR ABDULAH

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002417 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM AM SUBJECT: ARMENIA: SMALL KURDISH DEMONSTRATION FOR ABDULAH OCALAN IN YEREVAN REF: FBIS Report CEP20041101000074 ¶1. (SBU) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. ¶2. (SBU) On 29 October, approximately 25 Armenian-Kurds staged a 30-minute demonstration outside of the Yerevan office of the European Commission. The demonstration was peaceful and covered by the local press. Knayz Hasanov, member of the Coordinating Council of National Minorities and a leader of the Kurdish community in Armenia, told us that the goal of the demonstration was to present a letter to the European Union asking their help in freeing Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish organization, Kongra Gel, from Turkish custody. Hasanov told us that he was unaware of any plans for future protests. ¶3. (SBU) Jean-Francois Moret of the European Union office in Armenia confirmed there were no more than 25 protestors and that the demonstration was peaceful. ¶4. (SBU) The Armenian press incorrectly reported the Kurdish population figures in Armenia (ref). Experts estimate the Kurdish population in Armenia is between 30 and 40 thousand. EVANS