US embassy cable - 88ANKARA16439

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 16439 
 
S/CT FOR WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS: PTER, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: 1988 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 393532 AND PREVIOUS 
 
1.  (U) THIS REPORT CONTAINS THE REPORT REQUESTED 
REFTEL.  POST WILL SUPLEMENT THIS REPORT AS MORE 
INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. 
 
2.  (U)  NAME OF COUNTRY:  TURKEY 
 
3.  (U)   (A) COUNTERTERRORISM PROSECUTIONS IN 1988: 
 
 THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF TERRORISM TRIALS IN TURKEY 
IN 1988, INCLUDING ONE INVOLVING MEMBERS OF THE ABU 
NIDAL ORGANIZATION.  THE TRIALS THIS YEAR WERE AS FOLLOWS: 
 
4.  (U)  KIRIKKALE MUNITIONS PLANT BOMBING TRIAL -- 
EIGHT INDIVIDUALS WERE SENTENCED TO THIRTY YEARS FOR 
PLACING A BOMB AT THIS PLANT WHICH KILLED EIGHT PEOPLE. 
THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION WAS INVOLVED IN THE PLOT AND 
A JORDANIAN DIPLOMAT WAS ORIGINALLY INDICTED IN THIS 
CASE BUT WAS RELEASED BECAUSE OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY. 
HE HAS RETURNED TO JORDAN.. 
 
5.  (U)  OTHER TRIALS: 
 
(U)  -- THE TWO LIBYANS CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTING TO BLOW 
UP THE NATO OFFICERS CLUB IN ANKARA STILL HAVE THEIR 
CASE UNDER APPEAL ON GROUNDS OF IMPROPER PROCEDURES; ONE 
IS CLAIMING INSANITY. 
 
6.  (U)  -- HIZBULLAH ACTIVISTS: ISLAMIC JIHAD BROUGHT 
100 KGS. OF EXPLOSIVES TO USE AGAINST U.S. AND OTHER 
INTERESTS INTO TURKEY.  ARRESTS WERE MADE IN MARCH, 
1987.  THE TRIAL IS ONGOING. 
 
7.  (U)  -- MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: THE TRIAL OF INDIVIDUALS 
INVOLVED IN IMPORTING EXPLOSIVES FROM IRAQ TO SYRIA 
THROUGH TURKEY ALSO CONTINUES. 
 
8.  (U)  -- MEHMET DEMIRAG, WHO ATTEMPTED TO ASSASSINATE 
PRIME MINISTER OZAL AT A POLITICAL CONVENTION JUNE 18, 
WAS SENTENCED TO TWENTY-ONE YEARS IN PRISON IN NOVEMBER. 
 
9.  (U)  -- TWO IRANIAN DIPLOMATS ACCREDITED TO ANKARA 
WERE EXPELLED AND TWO OTHERS NOT ACCREDITED WILL GO ON 
TRIAL (ALONG WITH TWO OTHER IRANIANS) FOR THE ATTEMPTED 
KIDNAPPING OF AN ANTI-KHOMEINI ACTIVIST FROM ISTANBUL TO 
IRAN. 
 
10.  (U)  -- TWENTY-SIX INDIVIDUALS WERE ARRESTED IN 
NOVEMBER FOR AN ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL A FORMER ANKARA 
MARTIAL LAW COMMANDER.  THE INVESTIGATION OF THE TURKISH 
COMMUNIST PARTY (B) MEMBERS ALLEGED TO BE INVOLVED IN 
THIS CASE IS CONTINUING. 
 
11.  THERE ARE ALSO A NUMBER OF UNSOLVED TERRORIST ACTS, 
SUCH AS THE MURDER OF A SAUDI DIPLOMAT IN ANKARA IN 
OCTOBER, AND SMALL BOMBS PLACED IN ISTANBUL AND UNDER 
AN AMERICAN TEACHER'S CAR IN IZMIR.  INVESTIGATIONS IN 
THESE CASES ARE CONTINUING. 
 
12. (B) PLO STATUS:  TURKEY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 
COUNTRIES TO RECOGNIZE  THE DECLARATION OF AN 
INDEPENDENT PALESTINIAN "STATE."  THE PLO ALREADY HAD 
DIPLOMATIC STATUS IN TURKEY.  THE GOT HAS SIGNALLED THAT 
IT WILL NOT UPGRADE THE MISSION TO AN EMBASSY, ANY TIME 
SOON, THOUGH IT WILL CONSIDER DOING SO IF AND WHEN A 
"PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT" OF THE PALESTINIAN "STATE" 
DECLARED BY THE PNC IN NOVEMBER IS FORMED. 
 
13.  THE GOT HAS NOT MADE ANY STATEMENTS SUPPORTING 
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED TERRORISM.  IT CONDEMNED NORTH 
KOREA FOR ITS INVOLVEMENT IN THE KAL-858 BOMBING BUT 
AVOIDED COMMENT ON OTHER TERRORISM-RELATED ISSUES IN 
ORDER TO MAINTAIN WORKING RELATIONS WITH IRAN AND 
LIBYA.  THE GOT BELIEVES ITS METHOD OF DEALING WITH 
MIDDLE EAST TERRORISM HAS PROVEN SUCCESSFUL. 
 
ROPE