SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: JANUARY 18-25, 2010

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ADANA 000007 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: JANUARY 18-25, 2010 ¶1. (U) The following security incidents for the period of January 18-25, 2010 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. (U) Military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as reported by the Turkish General Staff: -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶A. Weapons, ammunition, and equipment seized: -------------- -------------- -------------- Sirnak - 01.23.10: 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 5 magazines, logistical equipment. Mardin - 01.22.10: Pressure-sensitive IED made of 150 grams of plastic explosives and 750 grams of ammonium nitrate. Diyarbakir - 01.22.10: Two pressure-sensitive IEDs made of 6 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. Bingol - 01.21.10: Two IEDs. Batman-Agri-Igdir - 01.21.10: 2 Kalashnikov rifles, 1 rifle, 9 pistols, 5 rifles for hunting, 335 rounds of ammunition, 1 hand grenade, 2 pairs of binoculars, many organizational documents, logistical equipment, and food. -------------- -------------- ¶B. PKK members captured or surrendered: -------------- -------------- 01.19.10 through 01.25.10: Security forces captured 6 PKK members. Mardin - 01.24.10: 1 PKK member caught. Sirnak - 01.20.10: 4 PKK members surrendered. Eleven PKK members have been captured since January 1, 2010. The courts arrested seven of the eleven and released four. One soldier was killed in the same period, and four soldiers were wounded. -------------- ¶C. PKK attacks: -------------- Hakkari - 01.18.10: 1 civilian wounded in IED blast. ¶3. (U) Media reports related to PKK and pro-Kurdish organizations. -------------- ¶A. Anti-PKK operations: -------------- Based on information that PKK members were in preparations to carry out actions to protest prison conditions of Abdullah Ocalan, TAF increased anti-PKK operations in SE Turkey, particularly in Tunceli and Bingol. Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) anti-PKK operations in SE Turkey continued in Tunceli, Sirnak, Batman, Mardin, Hatay, Siirt, Hakkari and Bingol. Many armored vehicles, military personnel and ammunition were sent to the operation areas. ¶N. Iraq - 01.21.10: TAF artillery teams bombed Kurejare District, no injuries reported. -------------- ¶B. Arrests: -------------- Mus - 01.25.10: DTP's former chairman and two other officials, were sentenced for a cumulative 30 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the terror organization PKK." Adiyaman - 01.25.10: BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Provincial Chairman Mehmet Varol was sentenced for 6 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Bingol - 01.24.10: Security forces detained 1 person on the suspicion of terrorism. ADANA 00000007 002 OF 004 Siirt - 01.24.10: Security forces arrested 7 people on the charge of "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK." Sanliurfa - 01.24.10: Security forces arrested an employee of the Pro-Kurdish Azadiya Welat Newspaper (the Free World) on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Sanliurfa - 01.23.10: Security forces arrested 3 people on the charge of "membership in Al-Qaeda." Sirnak - 01.23.10: Security forces detained 2 people on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Bingol - 01.23.10: Security forces detained 3 people in anti-KCK (Kurdish Democratic Confederation/Turkey Assembly) operation on the charges of "chanting illegal slogans in favor of the PKK," and "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 01.23.10: Security forces arrested 3 people on the charge of "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK." Batman-Diyarbakir-Van-Istanbul - 01.21.10: Security forces arrested 42 people on the charges of "membership in the PKK", "assisting and harboring the PKK," and "carrying out actions in rural areas on behalf of the PKK." Two Kalashnikovs, 1 pistol, magazines, ammunition, 4 rifles, 1 hand grenade, organizational documents, and logistical material were seized in the operations. Diyarbakir - 01.21.10: Security forces detained 4 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Bitlis - 01.21.10: Security forces arrested 3 people on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 01.21.10: Security forces arrested 16 people on the charge of "membership in Al-Qaeda." The arrestees chanted anti-U.S. and Israeli slogans upon their arrival at the police station in Adana. Adana - 01.21.10: 15 people, including DTP former chairman of Ceyhan Seyfettin Aydemir and Party member Abdullah Aydemir were sentenced to a cumulative 24 years in prison on the charge of "violating restrictions on marchers and demonstrations." Hakkari - 01.21.10; DTP former provincial chairman Hivzullah Kansu was sentenced for 2 years and 2 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Adana - 01.21.10: 2 people who were arrested on the charge of "joining in illegal actions on behalf of the PKK" were released. Mus - 01.21.10: Security forces detained 3 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 01.21.10: Security forces detained an employee of the pro-Kurdish Azadiya Welat Newspaper on the suspicion of terrorism. Diyarbakir - 01.21.10: Security forces detained 14 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Batman - 01.20.10: Security forces detained 2 people on the suspicion of terrorism. Hakkari - 01.20.10: Security forces arrested 1 minor (age 15) on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." Van - 01.20.10: DTP's former mayoral candidate Abdurrahman Cagan was sentenced for 5 months in prison on the charge of "making propaganda for the PKK." -------------- -------------- ¶C. Other media stories about the PKK: -------------- -------------- 01.25.10: The PKK has set up a new unit, called the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK),to coordinate large-scale terrorist acts in urban areas alongside the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK). The group plans to launch this double-front action on Feb. 15, the anniversary of the capture of the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan, and continue until March 21, Nevruz, a spring festival which is of special significance to Kurds. NOTE: Many deadly actions in the past which targeted civilians were claimed by TAK past to shift attention from the PKK, which generally does not claim responsibility for actions targeting civilians. END NOTE Diyarbakir - 01.25.10: According to the Human Rights Union of ADANA 00000007 003 OF 004 Diyarbakir, 67 security officials and 68 PKK members were killed in 2009, despite PKK's declared ceasefire. The report also said that 91 civilians were killed in the same period. Security forces detained 4,475 people in 2009, and arrested 1,444 of them. The report also said that there is a sharp increase in torture cases and added that 1,016 people were subjected to some type of torture. Hakkari - 01.23.10: Many people gathered in Yuksekova to protest prison conditions of Abdullah Ocalan. Security forces intervened with tear gas, pressurized water and batons and demonstrators responded with Molotov cocktails and stones; no injuries reported. Adana - 01.23.10: Pro-Kurdish NGOs gathered to protest prison conditions and called upon the government to release seriously ill prisoners. Siirt - 01.21.10: Security forces confiscated 3 Kalashnikovs, 1 rifle, 417 rounds of ammunition, 22 rounds of pistol ammunition, and 13 magazines in an anti-terror operation. Two people who were in preparations to send the material and ammunition to PKK's mountain units were arrested on the charge of "assisting and harboring the PKK." Malatya - 01.21.10: Three students were kicked out of their university dormitory on the suspicion of pro-PKK activities. Hakkari - 01.20.10: A court announced its rationale on an earlier ruling regarding 8 Turkish soldiers taken hostage by the PKK following an ambush at a military outpost in that left 12 others dead, saying the 8 should have remained at their posts and fought the militants to the end. The soldiers were captured during a PKK attack on October 21, 2007, near the Turkish-Iraqi border. The eight Turkish soldiers were held for two weeks before they were released in northern Iraq. ¶4. (U) Media reports on significant crime or security incidents: Sanliurfa - 01.24.10: 1 person was killed and 4 others wounded in a firefight between two families. Diyarbakir - 01.24.10: Unidentified people attacked AK (Justice and Development) Party's district building with Molotov cocktails, no injuries reported. Mersin - 01.24.10: Unidentified people set a vehicle on fire. Sanliurfa-Adiyaman-Mersin-Mardin-Sirnak-Diyar bakir-Gaziantep: 01.20.10 through 01.24.10: Security forces detained 50 people in an anti-organized crime and smuggling operation. Osmaniye - 01.23.10: Security forces detained two and seized smuggled cigarettes and 100 sexual stimulant pills. Sirnak - 01.21.10: Security forces detained 11 people in an anti-organized crime and smuggling operation. Adana - 01.21.10: Security forces detained 9 people in an anti-organized crime and smuggling operation. Hatay - 01.21.10: Security forces seized 3 trucks of smuggled cigarettes and detained 3 people in an anti-smuggling operation. Diyarbakir - 01.20.10: Security forces detained 12 people in an anti-crime operation. ¶5. (U) Illegal immigrant arrests: 01.18.10 through 01.24.10: Security forces captured and deported 209 illegal immigrants from: Adana, Hatay, Hakkari, Igdir, Mugla, Antalya, Izmir, Edirne, Agri, Aydin and the borders of Iran, Georgia and Greece. ¶6. (U) Counter-narcotic operations: Osmaniye - 01.25.10: Security forces confiscated 25 kilograms of hashish and detained 2 people. Hatay - 01.21.10: Security forces confiscated 4 kilograms of hashish and detained 2 people. Van - 01.20.10: Security forces confiscated 134 kilograms of hashish and detained 1 person. ¶7. (U) Anti-Al-Qaeda Operation in across Turkey, including SE and Adana. 01.22.10: Security forces detained at least 120 people in simultaneous anti-Al-Qaeda operations held by the ADANA 00000007 004 OF 004 counterterrorism teams in 16 provinces across Turkey, including Ankara (5),Kocaeli (20),Elazig (8),Istanbul, Bursa, Sanliurfa (6),Gaziantep (7),Mersin (15),Van (4),Mus (6), Malatya (6),Samsun (4),Izmir (4),Erzurum (1) and Diyarbakir, Kahramanmaras, Konya and Adana (1). ¶8. (U) Anti-American activity Adana - 01.22.10: An anti-American rock concert attracted an audience of more than 1,000 people. Concert-goers participated in a moment of silence to commemorate lives lost in the fight against "imperialism, America, and Israel," and chanted slogans such as "America get out, this is our country," and "Shut down Incirlik Air Base." The same group held a similar concert two days later in Antakya. DARNELL