SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: NOVEMBER 23-30, 2009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 000075 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 23-30, 2009 ¶1. The following security incidents for the period of November 23-30, 2009, were compiled by the security assistant at Consulate Adana from RSO sources, to include Turkish security contacts, government officials and media. The 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: Sirnak - 11.26.09: 1 pistol (9 mm),2 magazines, 26 rounds of ammunition, 2 Kalashnikov magazines, 60 rounds of Kalashnikov ammunition, 1 pair of binoculars, 2 cell phone memory cards, various logistical equipment. Batman - 11.26.09: 1 hand grenade, an IED made of 50 grams of C-4. Diyarbakir - 11.25.09: An IED made of mortar ammunition. Sirnak - 11.25.09: 2 Kalashnikov rifles, 9 magazines, 2 hand grenades,1 pair of binoculars, 1 flash drive, 1 voice recorder. Sirnak - 11 .25.09: 1 wireless radio. ¶B. PKK members captured or surrendered: Sirnak - 11.25.09: Security forces killed 2 PKK members. ¶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 Sirnak, Hakkari, Diyarbakir, Igdir, Batman and Siirt. ¶N. Iraq - 11.28.09: TAF artillery teams bombed the Zap District; no casualties reported. ¶N. Iraq - 11.29.09: Pro-PKK ANF web site reported that Turkish war jets made low-altitude flights over N. Iraq. ¶N. Iraq - 11.24.09: TAF artillery teams bombed Haftanin area. Hakkari - 11.24.09: TAF continue to withdraw military teams from the border lines. ¶B. Arrests: Hakkari - 11.30.09: Security forces detained 4 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 11.30.09: Security forces detained 5 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Sirnak - 11.27.09: Two people were arrested on the charge of "being a member of a terror organization." Sanliurfa - 11.26.09: Seven DTP members were sentenced for a 
cumulative 18 years in prison on the charge of "violating restrictions on marches and demonstrations." Sirnak - 11.26.09: Security forces detained 1 person on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 11.26.09: Four people who threw eggs on a CHP bus were sentenced to a cumulative 5 years in prison on the charge of "violating restrictions on marches and demonstrations." Siirt - 11.25.09: Security forces detained 8 people on the suspicion of terrorism. 3 were later arrested on the charge of "carrying out an illegal demonstration on behalf of the PKK." Adana - 11.24.09: Security forces detained 8 members of the pro-leftist "Public Houses" on the suspicion of terrorisms. Sanliurfa - 11.24.09: Security forces arrested 4 administrators of the pro-Kurdish MEYA-DER (Mesopotamia Culture Center) and DTP on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Siirt - 11.24.09: Security forces detained 7 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 11.24.09: DTP Mayor of Greater Municipality Osman Baydemir is on trial on the charge of "making propaganda for the ADANA 00000075 002 OF 004 PKK." Van - 11.23.09: DTP administrator of Ercis and a former administrator of Van were sentenced to 2 years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." ¶C. Other media stories about PKK: Hakkari - 11.30.09 and 11.29.09: PKK sympathizers in Yuksekova gathered on November 30 to protest Abdullah Ocalan's prison conditions. Police intervened with batons, tear gas and pressurized water and demonstrators responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. Turk Telecom's building was stoned. A police vehicle and a branch of a bank were attacked with Molotov cocktails. Clashes continued into the night. At least 6 demonstrators were wounded. The previous day, PKK supporters in central Hakkari clashed with security forces. Police intervened with tear gas, batons and pressurized water and demonstrators responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. Adana - 11.30.09: PKK members in the Kurkculer Prison have started a hunger-strike to protest Abdullah Ocalan's prison conditions. Siirt - 11.30.09: PKK supporters attacked 2 vehicles with Molotov cocktails. Sirnak - 11.30.09: Security forces killed 1 PKK member. Anti-PKK operations continue in the region. Diyarbakir - 11.30.09: Several NGOs, including Pro-Kurdish TUHAD-DER and MEYA-DER made a press statement to protest Ocalan's prison conditions. Mersin - 11.30.09 and 11.29.09: PKK supporters attacked a police station for the second time in 2 days. On November 30, nearly 200 PKK supporters attacked the station with Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones. Police opened fire in the air and used tear gas and pressurized water to disperse demonstrators. The previous day, almost 400 PKK sympathizers attacked the same station with Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones. Police opened fire in the air and intervened with tear gas and armored vehicles. Protesters set fire to a municipal kiosk and damaged parked vehicles and nearby shops. Security forces detained many people. 2 demonstrators were wounded by bullets. Illegal street demonstrations continued for long hours in throughout the city. Tarsus in Mersin - 11.29.09: PKK sympathizers clashed with security forces. Siirt - 11.29.09: Security forces intervened in a PKK demonstration protesting Abdullah Ocalan's prison conditions; security forces detained at least 20 people. Sanliurfa - 11.29.09: PKK supporters gathered to protest Abdullah Ocalan's prison conditions and to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the PKK. Demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan and set fire to trash barrels and tires. Police intervened with tear gas, batons and armored vehicles and PKK supporters responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. Diyarbakir - 11.29.09: KCK stated that they had no connection with the Molotov cocktail attack against the pro-Hezbollah Sura-Der Union building in Diyarbakir. Batman - 11.29.09: PKK supporters attacked Turk Telecom's building with Molotov cocktails; no injuries reported. Yuksekova in Hakkari - 11.29.09: Hundreds of PKK sympathizers gathered to protest Ocalan's prison conditions and to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the PKK. Demonstrators threw stones and Molotov cocktails and blocked the Diyarbakir-Hakkari-Van highway to traffic. Security forces detained many people. At least 2 people were wounded. Adana - 11.29.09: PKK supporters set fire to a privately-owned cargo vehicle. Diyarbakir - 11.28.09: PKK supporters attacked an AK Party district building and pro-Hezbollah Sura-Der Union building with Molotov cocktails. Security guards posted at AK Party's building opened fire on assailants, wounding one of them. Two days later, nearly 1000 members of the pro-Hezbollah Islamic Union protested the PKK action, bearing Hezbollah banners and chanting anti-PKK slogans. No clash or arrest occurred. 11.28.09 - Van: Iranian troops killed a Kurdish fuel smuggler. According to pro-PKK web site ANF, 38 Kurdish smugglers have been killed since July by Iranian and Turkish troops, possibly ADANA 00000075 003 OF 004 due to cross-border efforts to decrease PKK-linked smuggling activities. Hakkari - 11.28.09: PKK sympathizers attacked an armored police vehicle with axes and stones. PKK supporters held illegal street demonstrations in 11 separate parishes of the city and clashed with security forces. Mersin - 11.27.09: PKK supporters in snow masks attacked a branch of the Turkish postal service with 4 Molotov cocktails; no injuries reported. Sirnak - 11.27.09: Thousands gathered to protest Abdulah Ocalan's prison conditions and to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation of the PKK. Demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan. No clash or arrest occurred. Batman - 11.27.09: Security forces intervened in an illegal PKK demonstration with batons, tear gas and pressurized water. One person heavily wounded. Hakkari - 11.27.09: Security forces intervened in a PKK demonstration with batons, tear gas and pressurized water. Demonstrators responded with Molotov cocktails, fireworks and stones. Hakkari - 11.27.09: DTP officials visited the graves of 4 PKK members who were killed almost 2 months ago in a clash with TAF in the Kazan area. Adana - 11.26.09: TNP anti-terror teams arrested 1 PKK member of Syrian origin. Malatya, Elazig and Batman - 11.26.09: NGOs held press statements to protest alleged lynch attempts against DTP members. Turkey wide - 11.26.09: Pro-PKK web site ANF claimed at least 39 lynching attempts have been carried out against Kurdish people in the past 4 years. Diyarbakir - 11.25.09: Thousands gathered and held a press statement to protest Abdullah Ocalan's health conditions. Demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan. No clash or arrest occurred. Sanliurfa - 11.23.09: Many PKK supporters gathered to commemorate the foundation anniversary of the PKK. The group blocked the roads to traffic and burned trash barrels. Demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan. Security forces intervened with batons, tear gas, and pressurized water and PKK supporters responded with stones and Molotov cocktails. The clashes continued for almost 2 hours. Hakkari - 11.23.09: Hundreds of people clashed with security forces to protest the attack against DTP members in Izmir. Demonstrators chanted slogans in favor of PKK and Ocalan, set up barricades, burned trash barrels, and threw stone and Molotov cocktails to security forces. Police intervened with batons, pressurized water, and tear gas. Security forces detained at least 5 people. ¶N. Iraq - 11.23.09: Pro-PKK web site ANF reported that 521 people joined in PKK in the past 5 months. ¶4. Media reports on significant crime or security incidents: Adana - 11.30.09: Passersby found the corpse of a girl near the Seyhan River. Sirnak - 11.30.09: Passersby found the corpse of a girl in the mountains. 11.28.09: Oil exports to the port of Ceyhan in Turkey resumed on Saturday after a week-long interruption caused by sabotage to a pipeline in northern Iraq. Malatya - 11.27.09: 4 people were killed in a fight between 2 groups following a business deal gone sour. Sanliurfa - 11.27.09: Security forces seized 1 Kalashnikov rifle, 5 magazines and 40 rounds of ammunition. Turkey wide - 11.27.09 through 11.30.09: Security forces captured 292 counterfeiters in 176 separate operations conducted in 52 provinces. 11.26.09: Turkish police seized 7.75 million counterfeit music CDs and movies and 1.6 million pirated versions of bestseller books over the past three years. Police and ministry officials ADANA 00000075 004 OF 004 have launched more than 9,500 operations against counterfeit rings in the country. More than 10,000 people were arrested in these operations on the suspicion of possessing, producing or distributing counterfeit trademarked items. Statistics showed that there was a decline in the production of knock-off CDs since 2007. 2.22 million illegal copies were confiscated in 2007, 1.5 million the next year and 890,000 so far in 2009. The rest of the bootleg items, around 3.6 million copies in the last three years, were DVDs. Statistics revealed illegal production of pirated books. 11.25.09: Turkey's Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation (MKEK) has sold 10,302 handguns since the beginning of this year. While 8,225 of those handguns were made in Turkey, the remaining 2,077 were imported from different countries. 11.25.09: The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was marked with protests, press meetings and statements from women's groups and human rights groups across the country. Speaking at an event in Adana, the head of the Adana Bar Association's women's rights commission said that 25 percent of women in Turkey were victims of violence and 75 percent of those individuals were subject to violence from their spouses. She also said that one out of every four females under the age of 18 were victims of sexual violence. Diyarbakir - 11.24.09: A person was found dead in Silvan District. The motive is unknown. 11.24.09: Security forces detained 42 people in simultaneous anti-smuggling operations conducted in Ankara, Mardin, Sanliurfa and Konya. Gaziantep - 11.23.09: 1 person killed and 1 person wounded in a firefight between 2 groups. Security forces detained 6 people in the operation. ¶5. Illegal immigrant arrests: 11.20.09 through 11.30.09: Security forces captured and deported 333 illegal immigrants from: Aegean Coast, Adana, Agri, Balikesir, Canakkale, Van Sanliurfa, Hatay, Edirne, Hakkari, Izmir, Aydin, the Mediterranean region and the borders of Syria, Greece, and Iran. Security forces detained 8 Turks who were assisting the illegal immigrants. ¶6. Counter-narcotic operations: Van - 11.26.09: Security forces seized 2 kilograms of heroin and 50 kilograms of hashish. 4 people were detained in the operations. Osmaniye - 11.23.09: Security forces seized 1 kilogram of hashish, 1 unregistered pistol and 15 grams of cannabis in simultaneous operations conducted in Osmaniye, Adana, Gaziantep and Hatay. 11 people were detained in the operations. Van - 11.23.09: Security forces seized 22 kilograms of hashish and detained 1 person. DARNELL