Cablegate: Se Turkey Security Incidents: October 12 -18, 2009

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DE RUEHDA #0063/01 2941123
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211123Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4782
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1324
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1094
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1391

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 000063

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, INR AND NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC PTER PINR CASC TU
SUBJECT: SE TURKEY SECURITY INCIDENTS: OCTOBER 12 -18, 2009

1. The following security incidents for the period of October
12-18, 2009 were compiled by the security assistant at Consulate
Adana from RSO sources, to include Turkish security contacts,
government officials and media. Similar reports have been
previously shared informally by e-mail. Post is now sending
this information in cable format to ensure wider and more
regular distribution. 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 - 10.17.09: 1 Kalashnikov infantry rifle, 5 magazines,
150 rounds of Kalashnikov rifle ammunition, 2 hand grenades, 1
pair of binoculars and money.

Siirt - 10.17.09: 84 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, 500 grams of
A-4 plastic explosive materials, and 75 centimeters of
time-fuse.

Hakkari - 10.16.09: 1 RPG-7 rocket launcher and 3 rounds of
RPG-7 ammunition.

Sirnak - 10.15.09: 1 pair of binoculars, 1 RPG-7 rocket launcher
and 1 round of RPG-7 ammunition.

Diyarbakir - 10.15.09: 18 kilograms of ammonium nitrate.

Mardin - 10.13.09: 2 kilograms ammonium nitrate, 600 grams of
A-4 plastic explosives, 2 electrical fuses, and one IED made of
14 batteries.

B. PKK members captured or surrendered:

10.12.09 through 10.18.09: Security forces neutralized 10 total
PKK members. 1 was killed and 9 surrendered to security
officials.

Siirt - 10.16.09: 1 PKK member surrendered.

Sirnak - 10.15.09: 1 PKK member surrendered.

Siirt - 10.14.09: 1 PKK member captured.

Sirnak - 10.15.09: 1 PKK member killed. 1 pair of night-vision
goggles, 1 wireless radio, and various pieces of logistical
equipment were seized and destroyed in the operation.

Sirnak - 10.14.09: 7 PKK members surrendered.

C. PKK attacks:

Hakkari - 10.17.09: A civilian was wounded by a PKK landmine.

Sirnak - 10.16.09: PKK members attacked a military patrol team,
wounding 2 troops.

Hakkari - 10.13.09: A remote-controlled IED exploded as a
military vehicle was passing by the area; no injuries reported.

Sirnak - 10.13.09: 2 troops were wounded in a IED blast.

Sirnak - 10.13.09: A round of booby-trapped artillery ammunition
blasted as a military vehicle was passing by. There was no loss
of life or injury in the incident.

3. Media reports related to PKK and pro-Kurdish organizations

A. Anti-PKK operations:

Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) anti-PKK operations in SE Turkey
continues. Many armored vehicles, military personnel and
ammunition were sent to the operation areas in Sirnak (Mount
Cudi and Cehennem Deresi/Hell River), Siirt, Hakkari, Agri
(Cumacay), Mardin (Mazidagi), and Diyarbakir.

N. Iraq - 10.13.09: TAF bombed the Zap and Haftanin region. The
anti-PKK operation launched on October 7 in the mountainous
terrain of Dogubeyazit district ( Agri province) continues.

B. Arrests:

Van - 10.18.09: Security forces caught 2 people trying to
recruit members for the PKK. The 2 were later released by a
court decision.

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Sirnak - 10.17.09: Security forces detained 1 person suspected
of terrorism.

Diyarbakir - 10.16.09: 3 people, who were threatening
shopkeepers on behalf of the PKK for shutting down their
establishments, were arrested on the charge of "threatening the
public."

Sirnak - 10.14.09: 2 people were arrested on the charge of
"assisting the PKK."

Sirnak - 10.14.09: DTP mayor of Kumcati was sentenced to 4
years in prison on charges of "assisting and harboring the PKK."

Diyarbakir - 10.14.09: Security forces detained 7 people
preparing to carry out PKK terrorist activities. The suspects
later were arrested on the charges of "possessing explosive
material" and "being members of the PKK."

Hakkari - 10.14.09: Security forces detained a person on the
suspicion of terrorist activity.

Siirt - 10.14.09: Former DTP district chairman of Kurtulan
district was sentenced to 5 months in prison for terrorist
activity.

Van -10.14.09: 4 of 11 people were arrested on the charge of
"carrying out an illegal demonstration on behalf of the PKK" for
taking to the street on October 9 to protest the expulsion of
Abdullah Ocalan from Syria.

Sanliurfa - 10.13.09: 7 people, including a DTP Viransehir
District Chairman, were sentenced to 2 and 2.5 years in prison
on charges of "violating restrictions on marches and
demonstrations."

Adana - 10.13.09: The secretary of Adana's Human Rights
Association was sentenced to 10 months in prison on a charge of
"making propaganda for the terror organization PKK."

C. Other media stories about PKK:

10.18.09 - Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin announced new
prisoners will be transferred to the Imrali Island prison "in a
week to 10 days."

10.18.09: Approximately 32 PKK members are expected to surrender
to security forces in Silopi on October 19 as a peace gesture in
support of a solution to the Kurdish issue. They will enter
Turkey across the Iraqi border at Habur Gate.

10.17.09 - PKK plans to leave Armenia as Turkish-Armenian ties
develop, making it more difficult to find safehavens in the
region. Many PKK members traveled to Armenia after the TAF
launched cross-border operations in northern Iraq in February
2008 to eliminate PKK camps.

10.17.09 - It is reported that PKK will engage in provocative
actions such as hunger strikes at prisons to increase its jailed
members' morale.

10.14.09: The U.S. Treasury Department declared that Murat
Karayilan, a PKK commander in northern Iraq, and PKK members Ali
Riza Altun and Zubayir Aydar, were international drug smugglers.
The designation would freeze any U.S.-based assets and prohibit
U.S. citizens from doing business with them.

10.13.09: PJAK has started to increase its illegal drug
activities in Iran. Iranian forces stormed a house in Dilazi
Village of Salmas Town and captured 2 PJAK members and killed 3;
security forces seized 560 kilograms of hashish and $300,000.

10.13.09: According to a report from the Turkish Ministry of
the Interior, since 2003, Syria has handed over 122 terrorists,
including 77 PKK members.

10.14.09 through 10.18.09: Protests were held in Hakkari,
Sanliurfa, and Batman to protest Ocalan's cell confinement
punishment.

10.14.09: Thousands of DTP members in Van, Siirt, Diyarbakir,
Mardin, Sirnak, Hakkari, Agri, Igdir, Bitlis, Mus, and Kars held
sit-in activities to protest the GOT's stance on Abdullah
Ocalan's road map.

Sirnak - 10.18.09: PKK members attacked a military patrol team
and wounded 2 troops.

Diyarbakir - 10.18.09: 57 NGOs in Diyarbakir released a press
statement supporting the Kurdistan Democratic Confederation's

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(KCK) decision to send peace teams.

4. Media reports on significant crime or security incidents:

10.18.09: According to official statistics, 2,500 people were
injured and 580 were killed by landmines or war ordnances
between 1993 and 2003. In the past two years alone, 56 civilians
were killed and 132 were wounded.

Hakkari - 10.17.09: A civilian was shot dead; motive is unknown.

Adana - 10.16.09: Security forces stormed 35 separate houses and
detained 36 people in anti-theft operation. 345 police officers
joined in the operations. 5 kilograms of hashish, 4 pistols, and
1 rifle were seized in the operations.

Kars - 10.14.09: Security forces found 1 round of unexploded
artillery.

Hakkari - 10.14.09: A person sitting in a cafe was attacked by
an unidentified gunman. The person was heavily wounded. Motive
is unknown.

Sanliurfa - 10.14.09: A police patrol vehicle was attacked by
unidentified people with long-range rifles; no injuries
reported.

Hakkari - 10.13.09: TAF declared Kirikdag Village Hakkari a
military security zone due to impending military operations; the
public is banned from entering or exiting the area.

Diyarbakir - 10.13.09: Turkish Ziraat Bank was robbed by armed
assailants.

Adana - 10.13.09: Security forces found 28 rounds of G-3 and
Kalashnikov rifle ammunition in a rural area.

Hatay - 10.13.09: Security forces seized 3 rifles, 1 pistol, 17
magazines and 700 rounds of ammunition in an anti-smuggling
operation.

5. Illegal immigrant arrests:

10.12.09 through 10.15.09: Security forces captured and deported
300 illegal immigrants from: Istanbul, Edirne, Mersin, Kayseri,
Agri, Erzurum, Igdir, Kilis, Sirnak, Van, Canakkale, Bitlis,
Hatay, Aydin, and the borders of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Greece.

6. Counter-narcotic operations:

Sanliurfa - 10.18.09: Security forces seized 25 kilograms of
hashish.

Adiyaman - 10.18.09: Security forces seized 17 kilograms of
hashish and 25 seeds of cannabis.

Adana - 10.16.09: Security forces confiscated 15 kilograms of
hashish and arrested 3 people.

Adiyaman - 10.14.09: Security forces seized 18 kilograms of
hashish and detained 11 people.

Bingol - 10.14.09: Security forces seized 8 kilograms of hashish
and arrested 1 person.

Van - 10.14.09: Security forces seized 66 kilograms of hashish.

Bingol - 10.13.09: Security forces seized 8 kilograms of hashish.

Diyarbakir - 10.13.09: Security forces seized 36 kilograms of
hashish.

7. Anti-al-Qaeda operations in SE Turkey:

10.14.09: Turkish police detained 57 people in anti-terrorism
operations launched simultaneously in 11 provinces. The
suspects, believed to be members of the Islamic Jihad League
(IJL), a group linked to al-Qaeda, were allegedly plotting to
attack NATO and American installations in Turkey and Germany.
The Istanbul and Van police departments carried out operations
in the provinces of Istanbul, Van, Bursa, Erzurum, Sakarya,
Konya, Hatay, Batman and Adana.

According to Turkish National Police contacts in the region:
- 1 al-Qaeda member was captured in Hatay.
- 1 al-Qaeda member was captured in Adana, and is suspected
only of being a sympathizer.
- 44 IJL members detained in Van, all suspected of active
membership in preparations to carry out an attack, although the
threat was long term and not imminent.DARNELL

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