US embassy cable - 04YEREVAN2417

UNCLAS YEREVAN 002417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PHUM, AM 
SUBJECT:  ARMENIA: SMALL KURDISH DEMONSTRATION FOR ABDULAH 
OCALAN IN YEREVAN 
 
REF:  FBIS Report CEP20041101000074 
 
1. (SBU) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
2. (SBU) On 29 October, approximately 25 Armenian-Kurds 
staged a 30-minute demonstration outside of the Yerevan 
office of the European Commission.  The demonstration was 
peaceful and covered by the local press.  Knayz Hasanov, 
member of the Coordinating Council of National Minorities 
and a leader of the Kurdish community in Armenia, told us 
that the goal of the demonstration was to present a letter 
to the European Union asking their help in freeing Abdullah 
Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdish organization, Kongra Gel, 
from Turkish custody.  Hasanov told us that he was unaware 
of any plans for future protests. 
 
3. (SBU) Jean-Francois Moret of the European Union office in 
Armenia confirmed there were no more than 25 protestors and 
that the demonstration was peaceful. 
 
4. (SBU) The Armenian press incorrectly reported the Kurdish 
population figures in Armenia (ref).  Experts estimate the 
Kurdish population in Armenia is between 30 and 40 thousand. 
EVANS