TURKEY: PROTESTS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF OCALAN CAPTURE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000040

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER TU ADANA
SUBJECT: TURKEY: PROTESTS MARK ANNIVERSARY OF OCALAN CAPTURE
THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST



1. (SBU) Summary: As in past years, protest activities marking
the anniversary of the February 15, 1999 capture in Kenya of PKK
leader Abdullah Ocalan and his subsequent transport to Turkey by
Turkish authorities, occurred throughout southeast Turkey. This
year's protests lasted one week, instead of the one or two days
in recent past anniversaries. Many of the protests were
peaceful, but in some areas they turned violent, with clashes
between protesters and security forces. This may augur more
confrontational Newroz protests in March. End summary.


2. (U) Based on media reports, as early as February 7, pro-PKK
groups around southeast Turkey started to call for protests to
mark the February 15 anniversary marking PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan's 1999 capture and transport by Turkish authorities from
Kenya to Turkey. The protests come in the wake of urgings of
PKK leader and head of the Kurdish Federations Association
Murat Karayilan for Kurds to protest the anniversary of Ocalan's
capture. Media reported that pro-Ocalan Kurdish groups
throughout the southeast, including in Adana, Mersin, Hatay,
Mardin, Gaziantep, Iskenderun, Sirnak, Siirt, Batman,
Diyarbakir, Cizre, Malatya, Van and even Kandil in Northern
Iraq, have called on Kurds to shut down businesses, boycott
schools, wear black, go on hunger strikes, pray for, and march
in protest against, Ocalan's incarceration and as a remembrance
of his being brought to Turkey after his capture in Kenya.
Reportedly, the theme of these activities was to "halt a life
which excludes Ocalan." A rough count from the media showed
approximately forty incidents related to the Ocalan capture
around the southeast region.


3. (U) Media reported that in Adana on February 16, a large
group of pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DSP) members
attempted to conduct an unauthorized demonstration, and when
security forces intervened, demonstrators started throwing heavy
objects at the police, resulting in the injury of the Deputy
Security Director and a police shift leader, as well as damage
to nearby shops. (Note: Subsequent press reports indicate that
prosecutors charged approximately 30 protestors with resisting
arrest and being members of an illegal organization End Note).
Police reportedly detained nearly 200 people. Also in Adana, a
February 14 press report said that, on February 13, a group of
youths staged a demonstration and blocked traffic flow with
Molotov cocktails. There were similar protests in Adana and
Mersin again on February 19, according to reliable press reports.


4. (SBU) Media reported on February 15 that Murat Karayilan, a
senior leader of the PKK's military wing, called on Kurds to
fast on February 15 and to close down their businesses and not
go to work. A local Imam reportedly called on the community to
pray for Ocalan. On February 14, media reported a DSP-sponsored
group in Diyarbakir marched and shouted pro-Ocalan slogans and
clashed with police, resulting in two arrests and two injured
policemen. According to our contacts and the press, no
Ocalan-related activities took place in Diyarbakir on the
anniversary day -- February 15 -- itself.


5. (U) On February 14, per the press, 3000 people marched in
Hakkari's Yuksekova district, while on February 15, security
forces in Yuksekova and Semdinli patrolled the streets and
reportedly forced business-owners to open their businesses.
Many people throughout the region responded to the PKK's call by
closing their businesses, as did people in Adana, Batman,
Hakkari and Siirt. Police in Nusaybin, Derik and Kiziltepe
reportedly took down the names of shop-owners who closed their
doors for the day.


6. (SBU) Our police contacts reported that 2000 people marched
and shouted slogans in Mersin, while smaller groups of Ocalan
sympathizers in a number of districts of Mersin clashed with
security forces, who intervened with tear gas and armored
vehicles. Businesses in those districts reportedly stayed
closed, while students boycotted schools.

Comment
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7. (SBU) This year's protests marking the Ocalan capture
anniversary have been violent in Adana and Mersin, but on a par
with last year's intensity in Diyarbakir. This year's protests
also spanned a week rather than 1-2 days as in recent past
years. This longer duration probably is due to recent calls
by Ocalan for better medical treatment and the reopening of his
trial, as well as recent widespread public discontent in the
southeast over prosecutors' decision to keep Ocalan locked-down
in his cell for 20 days as punishment for his attempts to
control the PKK through his attorneys (reftel). TNP reaction to
the protests has varied in eastern and southeastern Turkey, with
the most aggressive in the Adana-Mersin area. The obvious PKK
and DTP-led efforts to use this date as a rallying point may
augur for a more confrontational Newroz season in late March
this year.
REID