US embassy cable - 03ANKARA1636

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OCALAN'S LAWYERS, BROTHER VISIT FOR FIRST TIME IN 15 WEEKS

Identifier: 03ANKARA1636
Wikileaks: View 03ANKARA1636 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Ankara
Created: 2003-03-14 14:31:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PGOV PREL PHUM TU OSCE PKK
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001636 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/SE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2008 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, TU, OSCE, PKK 
SUBJECT: OCALAN'S LAWYERS, BROTHER VISIT FOR FIRST TIME IN 
15 WEEKS 
 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 1624 
     B. ANKARA 1303 
     C. ANKARA 972 
     D. ADANA 44 
 
 
Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons 1.5 b and d. 
 
 
1. (U) Jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan was visited March 12 
for the first time since November 27 by his brother Mehmet 
and three attorneys.  Jandarma officials had previously 
blocked visits to Ocalan's Imrali Island prison, supposedly 
due to stormy weather (Reftels B-D). 
 
 
2. (C) Comment: This visit will do little, by itself, to 
relieve mounting tensions among Turkish Kurds, who fear they 
will suffer a GOT crackdown if/when the fighting starts in 
Iraq.  By isolating Ocalan for such an extended period with 
such a flimsy excuse, the GOT has sent a clear message to the 
Kurds, as it did March 13 when it took legal actions against 
two pro-Kurdish parties (Reftel A). 
 
 
PEARSON 

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