SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: FEBRUARY 1 - 9, 2010

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 000011 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: FEBRUARY 1 - 9, 2010 ¶1. (U) The security assistant at Consulate Adana compiled the following security incidents for the period of February 1 - 9, 2010, 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. (U) Military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as reported by the Turkish General Staff (TGS): -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶A. Weapons, ammunition, and equipment seized: -------------- -------------- -------------- Mardin - 02.08.10: Security forces found and destroyed 700 grams of dynamite. Sirnak - 02.08.10: Security forces found and destroyed an IED. Siirt - 02.03.10: One Kalashnikov rifle, five magazines, 223 rounds of ammunition and logistical materials. Mardin - 02.02.10: Five pressure-sensitive IED mechanisms, organizational documents, and four pressure-sensitive IEDs made of six kilograms of ammonium nitrate. Sirnak - 02.02.10: One anti-personnel landmine. Bitlis - 02.02.10: One IED, one battery, organizational documents, and logistical materials. Sirnak - 02.01.10: One anti-personnel landmine. -------------- -------------- ¶B. PKK members captured or surrendered: -------------- -------------- Sirnak - 02.04.10: Four PKK members surrendered. Sirnak - 02.01.10: Two PKK members surrendered. 01.31.10 through 02.06.10: Security forces captured nine people, six of whom surrendered. ¶3. (U) Media reports related to PKK and pro-Kurdish organizations: -------------- ¶A. Anti-PKK operations: -------------- Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) anti-PKK operations in SE Turkey continued in Siirt, Mardin, Sirnak, Bitlis and Hakkari. ¶N. Iraq - 02.08.10 and 02.09.10: TAF artillery teams bombed the Zap region; no injuries reported. Hakkari - 02.07.10: Pro-Kurdish Dicle News (DN) reported some 10 Turkish war jets flew from Cukurca District in the direction of ¶N. Iraq. Hakkari - 02.02.10: DN reported Turkish war jets made low-altitude flights over the Aktutun district and flew in the direction of N. Iraq. N.Iraq - 02.05.10: TAF artillery teams bombed the ZAP region; no injuries reported. Hakkari - 02.04.10: DN reported two Turkish war jets made low-altitude flights over Semdinli District and flew in the direction of N. Iraq. -------------- ¶B. Arrests: -------------- Adana - 02.09.10: Security forces arrested six people on the charges of "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK," "and "making propaganda for the PKK." Mardin - 02.09.10: Nine people were sentenced for a cumulative nine years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Hakkari - 02.09.10: Security forces arrested one minor for "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK." Sanliurfa - 02.08.10: Security forces detained three members of the pro-Kurdish University student union (HODER). Mus - 02.08.10: Eleven people who joined in Nevruz activities in 2006 are under investigation on the charge of "joining in ADANA 00000011 002 OF 003 illegal street actions in favor of the PKK and Ocalan." Hakkari - 02.08.10: Security forces detained two people on the suspicion of terrorism. Sanliurfa - 02.08.10: Security forces arrested one person on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adiyaman - 02.08.10: Thirty-three people are under investigation on the charge of "chanting illegal slogans in favor of the PKK and Ocalan." Batman - 02.07.10: Fifty-seven people are on trial on charges of "chanting slogans against the PM Erdogan" and "insulting the Prime Minister Erdogan." Mardin - 02.07.10: Twenty minors are on trial for a cumulative 120 years in prison on the charge of "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK." Sirnak - 02.06.10: Security forces arrested three minors on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 02.05.10: Security forces detained two members of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir terror organization on the charge of "collecting money from the public on behalf of the terror organization." Organizational documents and computer records were seized in the operations. (Note: Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation) is an international, Sunni pan-Islamist political party whose goal is to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state or caliphate ruled by Islamic law.) Sirnak - 02.05.10: Three people were sentenced for a cumulative 30 years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 02.04.10: Three people, including an employee of the pro-Kurdish Radio Dunya, were sentenced for a cumulative 30 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 02.04.10: A Syrian lawyer, who was detained almost 4 months ago on the charge of "membership in an outlawed terror organization," was released by the court decision. Van - 02.03.10: A former member of the pro-Kurdish KURDI-DER was sentenced for 10 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Batman - 02.03.10: Security forces detained one person on the charge of "assisting and harboring the PKK." Sanliurfa - 02.03.10: Two people were sentenced for a cumulative 21 years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Gaziantep - 02.03.10: Sixteen former members of the now-banned Democratic Society Party (DTP) were taken into custody in an anti-PKK operation. Sirnak - 02.02.10: One person was sentenced for two years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Mardin - 02.02.10: Security forces arrested one person on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Sirnak - 02.01.10: An employee of the pro-Kurdish Gundem Newspaper was sentenced for six years in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." -------------- -------------- ¶C. Other media stories about the PKK: -------------- -------------- Turkey wide - 02.07.10: PKK plans provocative actions in the lead up to the February 15 anniversary of Ocalan's capture. PKK's urban cell will allegedly start provocative action in major cities, using the "Freedom for Ocalan" slogan for demonstrations. The PKK's youth wing "Komalen Ciwan" called all Kurdish people to join in. In the southeast, PKK members have allegedly begun publicizing names of individuals, companies and institutions associated with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Gulen movement as a warning not to interfere in its operations or development. Tunceli - 02.09.10: PKK sympathizers set on fire three vehicles belonging to military personnel. Bingol - 01.09.10: Security forces clashed with PKK supporters. Adana - 02.09.10: Security forces clashed with PKK sympathizers on the one-year anniversary of death of Veysi Kaya, who self-immolated to protest the prison conditions of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Adana - 02.09.10: PKK supporters have increased arson and ADANA 00000011 003 OF 003 Molotov cocktail attacks in the lead up to the February 15 anniversary of Ocalan's capture. PKK supporters set on fire three civilian vehicles in the popular Ziyapasa neighborhood. Adana - 02.07.10: PKK sympathizers gathered in Barbaros and Hurriyet parishes to carryout illegal pro-PKK demonstrations. Security forces intervened with pressurized water, batons, tear gas and plastic bullets. Demonstrators responded with Molotov cocktails and stones. 02.07.10: KCK's Chief (Kurdish Democratic Confederation/Turkey Council) Cemil Bayik threatened the ruling AKP government, saying it would be a "tough year." Siirt - 02.06.10: A father of a PKK member killed in Eruh has claimed that GOT would not relinquish his son's body because chemical weapons were used in the fatal clash with the TAF in May 2009. Diyarbakir - 02.05.10: A PKK-affiliated group called "Ocalan's Youth" attacked a police vehicle with a Molotov cocktail. Police have heightened the city's security posture in sensitive areas such as the ruling AK Party headquarters. Diyarbakir - 02.05.10: Hundreds of people visited a condolence tent pitched to commemorate PKK members killed between 1992 and ¶1999. ¶4. (U) Media reports on significant crime or security incidents: Sanliurfa - 02.09.10: Unidentified assailants attacked a bank with three Molotov cocktails. 02.09.10: According to the Turkish Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction, the number of drug-related deaths in Turkey increased by 14 percent in 2008, rising from 139 deaths in 2007 to 159 in 2008. Sirnak - 02.08.10: Security forces opened fire on a passenger bus when the driver did not heed a halt order. Fifty-one bullets hit the bus and one passenger was killed. Hakkari - 02.07.10: Two bomb blasts struck the GOT-operated Ziraat Bank in Yuksekova, damaging two vehicles and bank property. Sanliurfa - 02.06.10: Unidentified assailants bombed a branch of Ziraat bank, causing damage to the facility.juries reported. Diyarbakir - 02.06.10: Unidentified assailants detonated a sound bomb inside a supermarket. Hakkari - 02.06.10: Unidentified assailants attacked a TEDAS (Turkish State Electric) building with a Molotov cocktail. 02.04.10: A counterterrorism operation in Istanbul netted nine alleged members of an illegal leftist organization, the Maoist Communist Party, believed to be planning acts of terror to incite chaos in Turkey. Gaziantep - 02.03.10: A four-year-old girl who went missing after leaving home to buy candy was found dead. Hatay - 02.01.10: Hatay Security Director Ragip Kilic said regular crime increased 24 percent in 2009 in Antakya, with 3,618 incidents reported. ¶5. (U) Illegal immigrant arrests: Security forces captured and deported 132 illegal immigrants from Mersin, Canakkale, Aydin, Edirne, Agri, Izmir and the borders of Greece, Iraq, Iran, and Georgia. ¶6. (U) Counter-narcotic operations: Van - 02.09.10: Security forces seized 236 kilograms of hashish in the past two months. Siirt - 02.09.10: Security forces seized 92 units of ecstasy pills. Hatay - 02.09.10: Security forces seized 4 kilograms of hashish. Adana - 02.09.10: Security forces seized 10 kilograms of hashish and arrested one person. Osmaniye - 02.03.10: Security forces seized 145 kilograms of hashish and detained 11 people. Diyarbakir - 02.08.10: Security forces seized 92 kilograms of hashish and arrested four people. Konya-Adana-Mersin-Usak-Kirklareli - 02.09.10: Security forces seized 15 kilograms of hashish in simultaneous operations and detained 22 people. Batman - 02.02.10: Security forces seized four kilograms of hashish and arrested seven people. DARNELL