US embassy cable - 04ADANA115

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ADANA 000115 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, TU, ADANA, PKK 
SUBJECT: PKK TERROR VIOLENCE CAUSES HIGH ANXIETY 
 
REF: ADANA 0104 
 
 
1. (SBU)  Summary:  Representatives of non-governmental 
organizations in southeastern Turkey recently told DPO that the 
region's human rights situation has been steadily improving over 
the past five years.  Human rights workers' anxiety is 
increasing, however, with every new clash between PKK/Kongra-Gel 
terrorists and government security forces.  While contacts are 
not ready to say that the government's "old measures" for 
combating the PKK are coming back, even the most optimistic 
observers fear that in the coming months, the public will be 
caught in the middle of overzealous security forces and a terror 
group that has proved its ruthlessness.  Many interlocutors 
claim that public support for the PKK terrorists is low, even 
among rank and file members of the pro-Kurdish DEHAP party, but 
that despite anti-violence dialogue within the Kurdish 
community, fear of PKK reprisals prevents public criticism for 
now.  Meanwhile, a government official in Diyarbakir stated that 
he understood undertaking anti-PKK actions in Iraq would put the 
U.S. in a difficult spot, but it is "impossible to explain that 
to a large segment of the population," he said.  End Summary. 
 
PKK iolenc Ceaes Anxiety 
------------------------- 
 
2 (SU  "A month ago," said one iyabair umn Rghs 
Association (HRA) member, "I would have stressed he positive 
more than the negative in discussingreforms and 
implementation."  But with the PKK/Kngra-Gel's abandonment of 
its ceasefire, contactsin southeast Turkey assert, anyone who 
takes a sand against anything now will now be labeled PKK, nd 
the security forces will use the attacks as apretext to crack 
down.  While not ready to say yt that all the "old measures" 
are coming back, clarly anxiety is rising among generally 
hopeful oservers in southeast Turkey.  Diyarbakir lawyers 
stated tat t 
 man pobem they are currently sein reates 
to access to lawyers for suspected PK emers  henfailis 
of terror-related suspets reuest asitane,the Bar responds 
by approchig the Securiy Diretor.  They report being 
outinely told that the suspect in question has notrequested a 
lawyer, but officials produce no siged document to that effect 
from the suspect.  Latr, in court, claim the Bar members, 
suspects indcate that they had wanted a lawyer. 
 
No One Wats the Violence to Return 
---------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU)  "This violence is affeting us all now," said one 
Diyarbakir lawyer, as ttacks are no longer limited to rural 
areas.  Hehad recently planned a trip to Tunceli to get away 
but cancelled it after hearing there was a secuity operation 
being conducted in the area.  "I ws thinking of my kids," he 
said, and he didn't want them to be exposed to checkpoints. 
Contacts insist that no one wants the violence back.  Villagers 
are put in the worst no-win situation, contacts say:  first they 
will be extorted by the PKK and if they refuse, they'll be 
beaten; then the army will accuse them of aiding and abetting 
the terrorists, they say. 
 
4. (SBU)  A private businessman agreed that sympathy for the PKK 
among the population had decreased.  He recently had visited a 
previously pro-PKK village to pay his respects to the family of 
an elderly person who had passed away.  During the visit, he 
tentatively brought up his anger about the PKK's abandonment of 
its ceasefire, expecting an argument.  The villagers agreed 
openly, he said, and were more vigorous in their disapproval 
than he was.  Dialogue about the need to speak out against 
violence is happening, even among DEHAP members, according to 
contacts, but people feel it is too dangerous to go public. A 
member of the Tunceli Bar said that "even sympathizers in 
circles close to the organization [PKK] say this is not to their 
benefit and will damage them."  He claims that rank and file 
members of human rights NGOs and DEHAP, for example, are 
moderate even if their leaders appear "rigid."  It is impossible 
to show a reaction to the violence, though, as the PKK would 
show its "counter-reaction," he said. 
 
5. (SBU)  One Tunceli businessman opined that the politicians 
(referring to DEHAP) had to move first on publicly denouncing 
violence.  Another in Diyarbakir apparently agreed, saying that 
he had visited Diyarbakir's Mayor Baydemir recently to express 
his disapproval of the mayor's recent condolence visit to the 
family of a suspected PKK militant.  Businessmen in Diyarbakir 
had been putting together an anti-violence statement recently, 
he added, but scrapped it when the Governor called them in and 
asked them to do it.  In the wake of that request they decided 
timing wasn't right and the statement would not be perceived as 
authentic. 
 
Deputy Governor:  Attacks not "serious" 
--------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU)  Unlike NGO contacts, the Deputy Governor of Diyarbakir 
was skeptical that the renewed violence would have any impact. 
The situation is different now, he said.  Five hundred militants 
at a time could enter previously, and the PKK used to receive 
more support from Europe and the drug trade.  Today, he said, 
the U.S. is in Iraq and understands security differently, and 
overall support for the PKK is down (Note:  He did not provide 
detailed information to back up that assertion.  End note). 
Only small groups are coming in and staging ambushes and 
harassment attacks to cause problems, he said.  Before, the PKK 
killed "50 people at a time," he said, adding that the current 
activity did not represent "serious" attacks. 
Timing of Ceasefire Abandonment "Very Strange" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
7. (SBU)  With the slow but steady progress acknowledged by so 
many human rights activists in the Southeast, and demands for 
additional progress flowing reasonably well through democratic 
dialogue and courtrooms, why the PKK would decide to abandon its 
ceasefire at this time baffled all interlocutors.  The timing is 
"very strange and meaningless," they said, unless there is truth 
to conspiracy theories about forces from both sides conspiring 
to spoil Turkey's chances for EU accession.  This argument 
posits that in addition to dampening the EU's enthusiasm for 
giving a date, a return to chaos and violence in the region 
materially benefits no small number of people.  As a brief 
example, one contact said, certain individuals gain from having 
jandarma checkpoints in place:  if you have a restaurant or even 
sell gum by a checkpoint, it adds up to income.  This is just 
one small example, he said, compared to the organized crime 
activity that can flourish when freedom of movement is 
restricted for security reasons.  The violence of past years had 
largely ended because the PKK had given up terrorism, claimed 
one lawyer.  He added that when Abdullah Ocalan said to resume 
the "war", it was resumed, and he wondered whether or not Ocalan 
could get messages out of prison if they were not "approved" by 
the state.  "I'm not a conspiracy type, but this is too 
strange," he said. 
 
Impact on Public Opinion about the U.S. 
--------------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU)  According to non-governmental contacts, the recent 
increase in violence in the region is not having an effect on 
public opinion about the U.S. in southeast Turkey.  "Any 
thinking person knows that this violence does not benefit the 
United States," said one Diyarbakir lawyer.  He claimed that 
Abdullah Ocalan and the Turkish media are trying to foment the 
idea that the U.S. supports the recent up-tick in violence. 
Another human rights activists averred that most in Turkey's 
Kurdish community understand that the "Kurdish issue" can't be 
solved the same way in Turkey as it may be in Iraq.  "In Turkey 
this must be solved in framework of democracy, and we expect you 
to push Turkey in this direction," he said. 
 
9. (SBU)  The Deputy Governor of Diyarbakir had a slightly 
different take.  He diplomatically recalled that there has been 
great support in Turkey for the United States since 1945, and 
that our support especially vis-a-vis the Soviet Union pre-1980 
was especially appreciated.  However four to five thousand PKK 
militants are nested in Iraq, he said, and they'll take actions 
according to U.S. posture.  There are U.S. armed forces 100 
kilometers from Turkey's border, he continued, and though Turkey 
sees the resistance U.S. troops are facing, and understands that 
anti-PKK operations would put the U.S. in a difficult position, 
"it is impossible to explain that to a large segment of the 
population, so the PKK must be taken under control." 
 
10. (SBU)  Comment:  Some of the reforms enacted during the EU 
harmonization process in Turkey have taken hold, and will be 
difficult to turn back under any circumstances.  Others, 
however, are more fragile and will be tested as the GOT 
implements its response to violent attacks by PKK terrorists. 
The Diyarbakir Bar's assertion that some terror suspects are 
being denied immediate access to a lawyer, for example, are 
worrying.  Human rights activists are watching security forces' 
response to PKK violence carefully, and will vociferously 
denounce actions perceived as disproportionate to the threat. 
It is, however, uncertain that southeast Turkey's Kurdish 
population would overcome the traditional barriers to public 
voicing of criticisms of PKK terror. 
 
11. (U)  BAGHDAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.