US embassy cable - 89ANKARA17365

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 17365 
 
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR S/CT FOR WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: 1989 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 363024 
 
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1.  NAME OF COUNTRY: TURKEY 
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A.  RESULTS OF ANY 1989 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC 
TERRORISM. 
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ON FEBRUARY 3 THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS CONFIRMED THE 
20-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE IMPOSED ON KARTAL DEMIRAG FOR 
ATTEMPTING TO ASSASSINATE THEN-PRIME MINISTER TURGUT 
OZAL JUNE 18, 1988.  THIS WAS THE FINAL STEP IN THE 
LEGAL PROCESS; WITH TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR DEMIRAG 
MIGHT BE RELEASED AFTER SERVING 13 YEARS. 
 
ACCORDING TO FEBRUARY 4 PRESS REPORTING, AN ANKARA 
APPEALS COURT REVERSED ON TECHNICAL GROUNDS THE STATE 
SECURITY COURT CONVICTION OF EIGHT INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD 
BEEN ACCUSED OF BOMBING A MUNITIONS FACTORY IN THE CITY 
OF KIRIKKALE IN 1986, KILLING SEVEN PERSONS AND INJURING 
24. 
 
ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 11, 1989 A PASSER-BY THREW A 
BOMB OVER A WALL INTO THE COURTYARD OF THE AMERICAN 
CONSULATE IN ISTANBUL.  ALTHOUGH THE DEVICE WAS POWERFUL 
AND SPRAYED SHAPNEL, THERE WERE NO INJURIES.  THE 
THROWER, A YOUNG TURKISH FEMALE NAMED PEMBEGUL BINBIR, 
WAS APPREHENDED AT THE SCENE AND, AS OF THE DATE OF THIS 
REPORT, IS IN CUSTODY AWAITING LEGAL PROCEEDINGS. 
INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING BUT, AS OF EARLY DECEMBER, 
HAD TURNED UP NO FURTHER LEADS. 
 
IN SEPTEMBER 1989 IT WAS LEARNED THAT TWO LIBYANS 
CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTING TO BOMB A U.S. OFFICERS CLUB IN 
ANKARA IN 1986 HAD RECENTLY BEEN RELEASED AND DEPORTED, 
APPARENTLY ON COMPLETION OF TWO-THIRDS OF THEIR ORIGINAL 
FIVE-YEAR SENTENCES.  UNDER TURKISH LAW SUCH A REDUCTION 
IS AUTOMATIC. 
 
ON OCTOBER 16 THE AUTOMOBILE OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE 
OFFICIAL WORKING IN THE SAUDI ARABIAN EMBASSY IN ANKARA 
WAS BLOWN UP AS HE WAS PARKING NEAR HIS WORKPLACE.  THE 
OFFICIAL LOST BOTH LEGS, BUT LIVED.  NEWS ACCOUNTS 
OCTOBER 17 REPORTED THAT ISLAMIC JIHAD CLAIMED 
RESPONSIBILITY IN AN ANONYMOUS CALL TO A NEWS AGENCY IN 
NICOSIA.  THE CALLER SAID THE ATTEMPT WAS IN RETALIATION 
FOR SAUDI ARABIA'S EXECUTION OF ISLAMIC JIHAD MEMBERS. 
IN OCTOBER 1988 ANOTHER SAUDI EMBASSY EMPLOYEE WAS SHOT 
AND KILLED IN FRONT OF HIS HOME IN ANKARA.  THERE HAVE 
BEEN NO HARD LEADS TO THE PERPETRATORS IN EITHER CASE. 
 
ACCORDING TO PRESS NOVEMBER 28, TWO IRANIAN KIDNAPPERS, 
APPREHENDED IN LATE OCTOBER 1988 IN CONJUNCTION WITH TWO 
IRANIAN DIPLOMATS WHO WERE TRYING TO SMUGGLE A KHOMEINI 
REGIME OPPONENT TO IRAN IN THE TRUNK OF THEIR CAR, WERE 
RELEASED AND SENT BACK TO IRAN AFTER SERVING ABOUT ONE 
YEAR.  (THE DIPLOMATS WERE NOT JAILED BECAUSE OF 
IMMUNITY.) 
 
DURING 1989 THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF 
POLITICAL AND NON-POLITICAL INCIDENTS OF LOW-LEVEL 
VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT TURKEY, INCLUDING DOZENS OF NUISANCE 
BOMBINGS DESIGNED AND TIMED TO MAKE NOISE AND DO MINOR 
DAMAGE BUT NOT TO INFLICT PERSONAL INJURIES.  ON THE 
NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 9 ALONE THERE WERE 24 LOW-LEVEL 
BOMBINGS OF COMMERCIAL FACILITIES THROUGHOUT TURKEY, 
INCLUDING A SMALL BOMB THAT WENT OFF WITHOUT INJURIES 
BEHIND A U.S. MILITARY COMMISSARY IN IZMIR.  THERE IS 
OFFICIAL CONCERN ABOUT CLOSER COOPERATION AND GROWING 
EXPERTISE AMONG LOW-LEVEL DOMESTIC TERRORISTS AND 
ACCOMPLICES, BUT BY THE YEAR'S END NO CLEAR PATTERNS 
WERE EVIDENT. 
 
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B.  HAS THE HOST COUNTRY MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN 
SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM 
ISSUE? 
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NO.  ON AUGUST 1 THE TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN 
ISSUED A STATEMENT DEPLORING THE HANGING IN LEBANON OF 
LT. COL. WILLIAM HIGGINS.  THE SPOKESMAN SAID TURKEY HAS 
SUFFERED FROM TERRORISM AND ALWAYS DEPLORES ANY ACT OF 
TERRORISM. 
 
ON OCTOBER 16 THE FOREIGN MINISTRY STRONGLY CONDEMNED 
THE CAR-BOMB ATTACK THAT DAY ON A SAUDI ARABIAN EMBASSY 
OFFICIAL IN ANKARA.  THE STATEMENT SAID, "ON THIS 
OCCASION THE FOREIGN MINISTRY ALSO WANTS TO CONFIRM 
TURKEY'S DETERMINATION TO COMBAT INTERNATIONAL TERRORIST 
ACTION WHATEVER THE SOURCE OR CAUSE MAY BE." 
 
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C.  A REVIEW OF MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS 
UNDERTAKEN IN 1989, INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN 
INTERNATIONAL FORA. 
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APART FROM ARMED VIOLENCE BY KURDISH WORKERS PARTY (PKK) 
SEPARATISTS IN TURKEY'S SOUTHEAST, THERE WERE NO MAJOR 
INCIDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN TURKEY IN 1989 
BEYOND THE OCTOBER 16 ATTACK IN ANKARA ON THE SAUDI 
EMBASSY OFFICIAL. 
 
TURKS WIDELY BELIEVE THAT THE PKK RECEIVES DIRECT 
SUPPORT FROM SYRIA AND IRAN AND INDIRECT SUPPORT FROM 
THE USSR AND IRAQ.  TURKISH SECURITY FORCES MOUNTED 
NUMEROUS SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONS AGAINST THE PKK IN THE 
SUMMER AND FALL OF 1989.  IN A POSSIBLE COUNTER-MOVE, ON 
THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 24-25 PKK MILITANTS KILLED 28 
PEOPLE IN THE VILLAGE OF IKIYAKA, HAKKARI PROVINCE, JUST 
INSIDE TURKEY FROM THE IRAQI BORDER.  THE VICTIMS 
INCLUDED 13 CHILDREN AND SIX WOMEN.  THE ASSAILANTS 
REPORTEDLY FLED INTO IRAQ.  THERE WERE SUGGESTIONS THE 
ATTACK PRESAGED A RETURN BY THE PKK TO TACTICS OF 
MASS-KILLINGS OF CIVILIANS.  THE PKK USED SUCH TACTICS 
IN 1987, AND THE ATTACK AT IKIYAKA ENTAILED THE LARGEST 
LOSS OF CIVILIANS IN A SINGLE INCIDENT SINCE 1987. 
APART FROM GENERAL REITERATION OF STRONG OPPOSITION TO 
TERRORISM WHEN THE SUBJECT COMES UP, WE ARE NOT AWARE OF 
SPECIFIC STEPS TURKEY TOOK IN 1989 IN INTERNATIONAL FORA. 
 
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D.  THE RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING 
EXTRADITION ACTIONS, ACTIONS ON TERRORISM AFFECTING 
AMERICAN CITIZENS AND FACILITIES, OR DEALING WITH OTHER 
SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF TERRORISM. 
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SECTION A REFERS.  THERE WERE NO TERRORISM-RELATED 
EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS IN 1989.  TURKS TAKE THEIR HOST 
NATION PROTECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY AND PROVIDE 
ROUND THE CLOCK PROTECTION TO FOREIGN FACILITIES SUCH AS 
EMBASSIES.  THEY ALSO PROVIDE PROTECTION TO PRIVATE 
FACILITIES AND PRIVATE CITIZENS AS THREAT ASSESSMENTS 
WARRANT. THEY ARE UNFAILINGLY OPEN TO OUR REQUESTS FOR 
INCREASED OR SPECIAL PROTECTION. 
 
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E.  SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT, IF ANY, FOR INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM, INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) POLITICAL AND 
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR TERRORISTS; DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT 
THROUGH DIPLOMATIC RECOGNITION, MISUSE OF THE DIPLOMATIC 
POUCH AND OTHER PRIVILEGES TO SUPPORT TERRORISM, 
SANCTUARY EXTENDED TO TERRORISTS OR TERRORIST GROUPS; 
AND POSITIONS TAKEN ON TERRORISM ISSUES IN INTERNATIONAL 
FORA, INCLUDING VOTING RECORDS. 
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TURKEY PROVIDES NO SUPPORT TO INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. 
 
 
ABRAMOWITZ