Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07YEREVAN274
2007-03-09 14:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
KURDS' PRO-OCALAN PROTEST LUKEWARM
how-toVZCZCXRO1146 RR RUEHDBU DE RUEHYE #0274 0681402 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 091402Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5055 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1223 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0551 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC 0026 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0279
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000274
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/SE, S/CT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PTER AM
SUBJECT: KURDS' PRO-OCALAN PROTEST LUKEWARM
REF: A) 06 YEREVAN 1484 B) 06 YEREVAN 1424
Classified By: CDA A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000274
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/SE, S/CT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PTER AM
SUBJECT: KURDS' PRO-OCALAN PROTEST LUKEWARM
REF: A) 06 YEREVAN 1484 B) 06 YEREVAN 1424
Classified By: CDA A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) About a dozen dilapidated buses bearing posters of
Kurdish militant Abdullah Ocalan pulled into the capital
March 9 to protest Ocalan's imprisonment. The passengers
were Yezidis from villages not far from Yerevan. The
National Security Service (NSS) was aware of the protest, but
was unable to locate the villagers early in the day. Post's
Mobile Patrol finally found them in a small square in the
center of town, and reported that there were between 150 and
200 protesters. By the time POLOFF arrived at the scene, the
falling hail was driving the Yezidis, talking and laughing,
back onto their buses. Only a few relaxed policemen remained
in the square as the buses steamed out of town.
2. (C) This is the first such protest in over a year.
Several Yezidi experts in Yerevan have told us that previous
protests have been organized by the Kurdistan Committee (a
local office of the Kongra-Gel),which pays villagers a small
sum to protest for Ocalan (ref A). This appears to be no
exception.
GODFREY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, EUR/SE, S/CT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/09/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC PTER AM
SUBJECT: KURDS' PRO-OCALAN PROTEST LUKEWARM
REF: A) 06 YEREVAN 1484 B) 06 YEREVAN 1424
Classified By: CDA A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d).
1. (C) About a dozen dilapidated buses bearing posters of
Kurdish militant Abdullah Ocalan pulled into the capital
March 9 to protest Ocalan's imprisonment. The passengers
were Yezidis from villages not far from Yerevan. The
National Security Service (NSS) was aware of the protest, but
was unable to locate the villagers early in the day. Post's
Mobile Patrol finally found them in a small square in the
center of town, and reported that there were between 150 and
200 protesters. By the time POLOFF arrived at the scene, the
falling hail was driving the Yezidis, talking and laughing,
back onto their buses. Only a few relaxed policemen remained
in the square as the buses steamed out of town.
2. (C) This is the first such protest in over a year.
Several Yezidi experts in Yerevan have told us that previous
protests have been organized by the Kurdistan Committee (a
local office of the Kongra-Gel),which pays villagers a small
sum to protest for Ocalan (ref A). This appears to be no
exception.
GODFREY