22 PKK TERRORISTS ARRESTED

UNCLAS IZMIR 00710 E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PTER SUBJECT: 22 PKK TERRORISTS ARRESTED REF: ANKARA 9490 ¶1. LOCAL PRESS AUGUST 19-20 CARRIED SPLASHY REPORTS OF COORDINATED POLICE RAIDS IN IZMIR AND ANTALYA WHICH NETTED A TOTAL OF 22 ACCUSED PKK TERRORISTS. (A TOTAL OF MORE THAN FIFTY WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY INITIALLY BUT ONLY 22 ACTUALLY WERE HELD.) ALSO SEIZED WERE A VARIETY OF EXPLOSIVES, HANDGUNS, AND WRITTEN AND TAPED PROPAGANDA IN BOTH TURKISH AND KURDISH. (THIS INCIDENTALLY IS THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE SEEN THE PRESS HERE USE THE TERM "KURDISH" IN REFERENCE TO LANGUAGE.) ¶2. AMONG THE CRIMES TO WHICH MEMBERS OF THE ARRESTED GROUP HAVE SUPPOSEDLY ALREADY ADMITTED ARE: THE BOMBING OF THE IZMIR SUMERBANK RETAIL STORE ON DECEMBER 29, 1987 (87 IZMIR 1213); A BOMB PLACED IN A GARBAGE BIN AT A CENTRAL BUS STATION IN IZMIR IN LATE JUNE, 1988 (WHICH WE DID NOT REPORT BECAUSE AT THE TIME THERE WERE REPORTS THAT THE EXPLOSION HAD BEEN CAUSED BY A DISCARDED AEROSOL CAN, WHICH POLICE WOULD NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY); THE BOMB WHICH WENT OFF AT THE HOTEL BILGEHAN IN ANTALYA ON JUNE 6 (IZMIR 490); AND A NUMBER OF OTHER ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND/OR PROPAGANDA. WILLIAMS