SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: NOVEMBER 2-8, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 000070 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/EUR, DS/IP/ITA, INR AND EUR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PTER PINR CASC TU SUBJECT: SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: NOVEMBER 2-8, 2009 ¶1. The following security incidents for the period of November 2-8, 2009, were compiled by the security assistant at Consulate Adana from RSO sources, to include Turkish security contacts, government officials and media. RSO uses the information to determine the security situation and trends of violence and crime throughout Turkey. The RSO 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: Bingol - 11.07.09: 75 kilograms of food and various logistical equipment. Bitlis - 11.07.09: 1 Kalashnikov, 22 rounds of Kalashnikov ammunition, 1 wireless radio, and 1 pair of binoculars. Bitlis - 11.06.09: 1 anti-personnel landmine destroyed on site. Diyarbakir - 11.05.09: 1 Kalashnikov and 231 rounds of ammunition. Hakkari - 11.05.09: 10 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and various materials used for making an IED. Bitlis - 11.05.09: 2 corpses belonging to PKK members, 1 Kalashnikov rifle, 5 magazines, 150 kilograms of food, and various logistical equipment. Sirnak - 11.05.09: A PKK IED exploded in a drain pipe under a road; no injury reported. Sirnak - 11.05.09: 3 rounds of RPG-7 ammunition, 1 Kalashnikov and some pieces of G-3 rifles. Sirnak - 11.04.09: 3 rounds of mortar ammunition destroyed on site. Siirt - 11.05.09: 1 booby-trapped IED destroyed on site. Kahramanmaras - 11.04.09: 1 flame thrower, 155 rounds of Kalashnikov ammunition, 40 rounds of M-16 ammunition, 1 pair of binoculars and 90 centimeters of time fuse. Kahramanmaras - 11.01.09: 50 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 225 kilograms of food, various logistical and medical equipment. Kahramanmaras - 11.01.09: 4 hand-made landmines, 55 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 100 meters of fuse, 179 rounds of M-16 ammunition, 8 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, 1 pair of night-vision goggles, 1 video recorder, 191 kilograms of food, and various logistical equipment. ¶B. PKK members captured or surrendered: 11.02.09 through 11.08.09: A total of 7 PKK members were captured: 2 dead, 2 alive and 3 surrendered. Van - 11.04.09: Security forces caught 1 PKK member. ¶C. PKK attacks: Hatay - 11.05.09: PKK attacked a military patrol team; no injury reported. Anti-PKK operations continue in the mountainous terrain of Hassa District. ¶3. Media reports related to PKK and pro-Kurdish organizations: ¶A. Anti-PKK operations: Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) anti-PKK operations in SE Turkey continue. Many armored vehicles, military personnel and ammunition deployed to operation areas in Mus, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Hakkari, Hatay, Kahramanmaras and Sirnak. ¶N. Iraq - 11.07.09 and 11.05.09: TAF artillery teams bombed the Zap Region. Sirnak - 11.06.09: TAF ended its operation on Mount Cudi. ¶B. Arrests: Sirnak - 11.08.09: Security forces detained 3 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Hakkari - 11.05.09: DTP mayor and deputy mayor of Cukurca are on trial on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Bitlis - 11.05.09: Security forces detained 5 people on the ADANA 00000070 002 OF 004 charge of "chanting illegal slogans in favor of the PKK." Diyarbakir - 11.05.09: 3 people were sentenced to 3 years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Bitlis - 11.04.09: Security forces stormed a house and detained 5 people, including DTP members and officials, on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 11.04.09: Security forces detained 5 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Hakkari - 11.04.09: DTP Mayor of Hakkari is on trial on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Hatay - 11.03.09: 2 people, who joined in arson attacks, were arrested on the charge of "violating restrictions on marches and demonstrations." Sanliurfa - 11.03.09: 6 people were sentenced to a cumulative total of 60 months in prison on the charges of "violating restrictions on marches and demonstrations," and "chanting illegal slogans in favor of the PKK." Diyarbakir - 11.03.09: DTP former mayor of Silvan and a former DTP administrator were sentenced to 2 years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK". Sanliurfa - 11.03.09: A person who joined in a DTP march marking Ocalan's birthday was sentenced to 11 years in prison on the charge of "carrying out illegal actions on behalf of the PKK". Diyarbakir - 11.03.09: 3 PKK members who surrendered to Turkish authorities have applied for benefits under the repentance law. The 3 PKK members are expected to be freed. Tunceli and Agri - 11.02.09: 3 of 7 people who were recently detained in an anti-PKK operation were arrested on the charge of "being members of an armed terror organization." The other 4 people were released. ¶C. Other media stories about PKK: Hakkari - 11.05.09 and 11.07.09: Security forces intervened with tear gas, sticks and pressurized water against demonstrators who were chanting slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan. PKK supporters responded with stones. No injuries or arrests were reported. ¶N. Iraq - 11.08.09: Pro-PKK news channel ANF reported that a HPG (People Defense Force) guerilla was killed in TAF's mortar strike held on October 24 and 25 in the Zagros District. Siirt - 11.07.09: 2 soldiers were injured when a military helicopter crashed. An investigation and anti-PKK operation were launched. Hakkari - 11.07.09: Almost 3000 people gathered for DTP's anti-racism march. Approximately 30 - 40 PKK supporters stoned police surveillance cameras (MOBESE) after the march. Police intervened with tear gas and batons. No injuries or arrests were reported. Hatay - 11.07.09: Members of the anti-PKK group Families of Martyrs held a march to protest terrorism and chanted slogans against the PKK. ¶N. Iraq - 11.07.09: Pro-PKK news channel ANF reported that 46 new HPG (People's Defense Force) members have graduated from training camps and joined the PKK. 11.07.09: Pro-PKK news channel ANF reported that 40-50 more PKK members will surrender discreetly from the camps in Kandil and Mahmur. Bitlis - 11.06.09: Clashes erupted between security forces and relatives of a killed PKK member who wanted to take the body of their relative from the morgue. Police intervened with tear gas and batons when demonstrators started to chant slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan. Hakkari - 11.05.09: Security forces intervened with tear gas, batons and pressurized water at a demonstration in favor of PKK and Ocalan. Protestors responded with stones. No injuries or arrests were reported. 11.04.09: A group of PKK members raided a wedding in a village near Turkey's border with Iran. 2 PKK members died, including the group's leader. The groom also died and four children were injured. Security teams have launched an operation to catch those involved. ADANA 00000070 003 OF 004 11.04.09: The PKK has been facing heavy losses in operations conducted by the Turkish, Iranian and Syrian armies. It was reported that at least 12 PKK or PJAK members, including the head of PKK in Erzurum, were killed in joint operations conducted by Turkish and Iranian forces. It was also reported that 5 PKK members, including a woman, surrendered to Turkish security officials. Bingol - 11.03.09: New mass graveyard was found. It was reported that there were 12 people, including 4 civilians and 8 HPG/PKK (People Defense Force) members in the graveyard. ¶4. Media reports on significant crime or security incidents: Van - 11.08.09: 4 people were killed and 8 wounded in a firefight between 2 families, including that of a village guard. Diyarbakir - 11.08.09: The deaths of four people by village guards earlier this week has brought the village guard system into the spotlight. Village guards, who are given weapons by the state to protect their villages against terrorists, have killed 235 civilians and injured 189 others within the past 19 years, according to data from the Human Rights Association (IHD). Mersin - 11.08.09: Almost 5,000 people, including DTP and pro-Kurdish YDG-M (Patriotic Democratic Youth Movement) members and officials, protested criminal gangs. Batman - 11.08.09: Security forces detained 156 people suspected of stealing electricity for home use. 11.07.09: Statistics indicate that the number of women murdered in Turkey has drastically increased in the past seven years. According to the Ministry of Justice: 66 women were killed in 2002, 83 in 2003, 164 in 2004, 317 in 2005, 663 in 2006, 1,011 in 2007, 806 in 2008, and 953 in the first half of 2009. 12,678 criminal cases were launched in connection with violence against women and domestic violence between 2002 and July 2009. 15,564 people were brought to trial in these cases and 5,736 were convicted. There were 1,859 defendants acquitted of charges, while 794 were released on parole. Adiyaman - 11.07.09: A sound bomb exploded around midnight on the side of a road in Saritut Parish. No injuries reported. 11.07.09: Guler Zere, a 37-year-old convicted cancer patient, arrived in Istanbul on Saturday night a few days after President Abdullah Gul pardoned her and one year after she applied for reprieve. A militant of an illegal far-left organization, Zere served 14 years of a 34-year sentence. She was diagnosed with oral cancer last year. Mersin - 11.05.09: Security forces detained 3 people in an anti-organized crime operation. Mersin and Diyarbakir - 11.05.09: Students protested YOK (Higher Education Council). Adana - 11.03.09: Passersby discovered the corpse of a man who died from unnatural causes. An investigation is ongoing. Van - 11.03.09: Security forces seized 2 Kalashnikovs, 4 magazines and lots of ammunitions. 1 person was arrested in the operation. Mersin, Diyarbakir, Bitlis and Malatya - 11.03.09: Security forces detained 31 people in anti organized-crime operations. Adana - 11.03.09: Unidentified people set a vehicle on fire in Sariyakup Parish. Malatya - 11.03.09: Members of the ESP (Socialist Platform of Oppressed) gathered to demand the release of Guler Zere, an imprisoned member of the outlawed Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C). ¶5. Illegal immigrant arrests: 10.12.09 through 10.15.09: Security forces captured and deported 338 illegal immigrants from: Balikesir Yalova, Aegean Coast, Van, Bitlis, Hakkari, Sanliurfa, Aydin, Edirne, Canakkale, Mugla, Agri, Igdir, Hatay, Erzurum, Adana, Sirnak and the borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Greece. ¶6. Counter-narcotic operations: Van - 11.03.09: Security forces seized 137 kilograms of hashish and arrested 1 person. ADANA 00000070 004 OF 004 Van - 11.01.09: Security forces seized 20 kilograms of hashish and detained 1 person. Diyarbakir - 11.02.09: Security forces seized 520 kilograms of hashish and arrested 26 people in operations conducted over the past 2 weeks. Van - October 2009: Security forces seized 700 kilograms of hashish and arrested 16 people. 01.01.09 through 10.30.09: Gendarme forces confiscated 44 kilograms of poppy gum; 1,890 kilograms of heroin; 2,034,311 seeds of cannabis; 805 kilograms of cannabis seeds; 16 kilograms of Kung cannabis; 5 kilograms of powder hashish; 2 kilograms of cocaine; 112,446 units of syntactical pills; and 3470 liters of acid anhydride. DARNELL