ATTACKS ON TURKISH POLICE MARK SIXTH ANNIVERSARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000723 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2026 TAGS: PGOV PTER ASEC TU SUBJECT: ATTACKS ON TURKISH POLICE MARK SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF OCALAN'S CAPTURE REF: ANKARA 000671 Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Turkish press reported two separate February 16 attacks on Turkish police in Istanbul and various demonstrations in southeastern Turkey. These attacks, and similar attacks over the past two weeks (reftel),are probably orchestrated by PKK/Kongra-Gel and related Kurdish groups to commemorate the February 15, 1999 capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Most Turks believe the U.S. played a role in Ocalan's capture, and demonstrations are expected outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara on February 17. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Media reported a bomb blast on February 16 near a police station in the Istanbul neighborhood of Halkali. No one was injured. In a separate incident, a Turkish police officer was shot and injured while on patrol in his car in the Maslak neighborhood of Istanbul. ¶3. (U) Over a thousand Kurds staged demonstrations marking the anniversary of Ocalan's capture on February 15 in cities across Turkey's southeast. In Diyarbakir, an overwhelmingly Kurdish city with a population of more than one million, 1,000 protesters marched while chanting Ocalan's name. In Sanliurfa, more than 500 protesters marched and chanted while carrying pro-PKK banners, but dispersed soon after riot police arrived. In Cizre, a small town in Sirnak province near the Syrian and Iraqi borders, dozens of demonstrators threw rocks and firebombs at police. The police responded with warning shots and tear gas, and arrested seven protesters. In Batman, there was a small explosion outside a military compound. No one was injured in the blast. In Mersin, a large Mediterranean city with a sizable Kurdish population, protesters staged sit-ins, fought with police, and smashed the windows of a municipal bus. ¶4. (SBU) As of noon on February 16, in response to our inquiries, Turkish National Police (TNP) reported no further demonstrations in Adana, Diyarbakir or Mersin, nor were TNP aware of any planned demonstrations. However, TNP were on alert to deal with spontaneous demonstrations. ¶5. (C) The Youth Branch of the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP),a pro-Kurdish political party with links to PKK/Kongra-Gel, plans to lay a wreath at the main gate of the U.S. Embassy on February 17. The Turkish National Police (TNP) estimates that there will be about 100 protesters. TNP and Embassy officials are coordinating closely on the necessary precautions. WILSON