Cablegate: Pkk Terror Attack in Malatya

P 161656Z JAN 92
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8408
INFO AMCONSUL ADANA
AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
AMCONSUL IZMIR
AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS

UNCLAS ANKARA 00728

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PINS TU
SUBJECT: PKK TERROR ATTACK IN MALATYA

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THIS MSG ORIGINATED FROM AMCONSUL ADANA
REPLY DIRECTLY TO AMCONSUL ADANA
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QUOTE

1. THE PKK ATTEMPTED YESTERDAY TO EXPAND ITS TERROR
CAMPAIGN TO MALATYA.

2. TURKISH DAILY NEWSPAPERS REPORT THAT A SINGLE
TERRORIST, APPARENTLY INTENT ON STAGING A ONE-MAN
SUICIDE ATTACK ON SECURITY HEADQUARTERS, WAS FOILED
BEFORE HE COULD CARRY OUT HIS ATTACK WHEN HE DROPPED A
MAGAZINE FROM HIS KALASHNIKOV ON THE STREET. HAVING
LOST THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, HE RETREATED TO THE 6TH
FLOOR OF THE RAILWAY WORKERS' UNION BUILDING ACROSS THE
STREET FROM THE SECURITY OFFICE, AND OPENED FIRE AT THE
SECURITY BUILDING.

3. DURING THE STANDOFF, WHICH LASTED FOUR HOURS, A
BUILDING GUARD WAS KILLED, AND A POLICEMAN AND A
PASSER-BY WERE WOUNDED. THE SIEGE ENDED WITH THE POLICE
KILLING THE TERRORIST, WHO WAS FOUND TO HAVE HAD A
KALASHNIKOV RIFLE, TWO PISTOLS, 150 ROUNDS OF
AMMUNITION, AND GRENADES WITH HIM.

4. MALATYA SECURITY OFFICIALS TOLD CONSULATE THAT THE
TERRORIST HAS NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED, BUT APPARENTLY
WAS OPERATING ALONE. NEVERTHELESS, SEVERAL OTHER
SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AS POSSIBLE
CO-CONSPIRATORS.

5. COMMENT: MALATYA, WHICH IS RELATIVELY PROSPEROUS
COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS OF THE SOUTHEAST, HAS FOR SOME
TIME BEEN OUTSIDE THE AREA OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY. THIS
IS THE FIRST MAJOR OPERATION DIRECTED AGAINST MALATYA IN
OVER A YEAR. END COMMENT.

WARREN A92011

UNQUOTE

BARKLEY

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