This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ADANA 000072 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PHUM ASEC IZ TU ADANA
SUBJECT: TENSION BUILDS IN SE TURKEY AS PKK/KONGRA GEL KEEPS UP 
PRESSURE 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 2884 
 
     ¶B. ANKARA 3112 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Southeastern Turkey has seen an increase in violent 
clashes since the beginning of May. Both local and international 
community contacts residing in, or operating in, Van and Sirnak 
provinces told AMCONSUL ADANA that Jandarma in Van, Hakkari, 
Siirt and Sirnak provinces are in a defensive posture following 
a string of recent probable PKK/KONGRA GEL attacks, 
predominantly with remote-detonated land mine attacks or 
improvised explosive devices (IED) (REF A).  They also note that 
locally assigned Interior Ministry officials in those provinces 
have become very gloomy and detached from contact with local 
community representatives, as well as very suspicious of any NGO 
or internationally linked development activity.  One contact 
noted that many friends of his in Sirnak and Siirt province 
villages now fear the return of nineties-era violence in 
southeastern Turkey.  They also note tensions between the Sirnak 
governate and the province's Jandarma leadership as the former 
tries to reduce the scope and mission of the provincial village 
guard system. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  One contact reported stumbling into freshly-dug, 
presumably PKK/KONGRA GEL, underground bunkers and hideouts in 
the last few weeks in southern Van province, in the vicinity of 
Baskale sub-provincial region, in areas where Jandarma 
reportedly does not choose to patrol because of reported 
concerns about ambushes.  A different contact reports multiple 
stories from villagers in mountainous Hakkari and Sirnak 
provinces (on the border with Iraq) of regular weekly PKK/KONGRA 
GEL transiting groups and logistic shipments.  "They keep moving 
people from Iraq across the border into new mountain hideouts 
people up there say," noted the contact. Another contact reports 
strong "informal discouragement" by Jandarma of UNHCR proposals 
to perform monitoring missions in more remote areas of Sirnak, 
Siirt and Hakkari provinces because of strong security concerns. 
 
 
¶3. (SBU)  There was a June 3 attack in a rural Hakkari district 
on a Jandarma sub-station which a local contact reported 
destroyed a Jandarma armored personnel carrier and injured 
several Jandarma members.  It did not, however, result in the 12 
casualties claimed by a Kurdish cause-sympathetic Internet 
outlet.  Similar attacks reportedly occurred also on June 3 in 
Tunceli and Diyarbakir provinces.  AMCON ADANA cannot confirm 
the details of these two attacks or any casualty figures. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Several UNHCR contacts also reiterated that they were 
concerned about potential organized violence directed at their 
southeastern Turkey offices and/or personnel since a recent 
Iraqi-origin fatwa reportedly specifically encouraged 
UN-oriented violence in the region.  They considered those 
likely to respond to such a fatwa to lie outside KONGRA GEL 
membership, but wondered whether a splinter PKK/KONGRA GEL group 
might still be motivated to target the UN due to the fatwa's 
encouragement, a regional alliance with an Iraqi group, or 
fundamentalist sympathy. (Comment: PKK/KONGRA GEL is a leftist 
organization, so fundamentalist sympathy is unlikely; a desire 
for allies, however, may be more realistic.  End Comment.) 
 
5.(SBU) Most of the recent attacks have been in rural or village 
areas, although the attack narrowly averted on May 28 in Adana 
occurred downtown in a large population center.  It was the 
first such attack in Adana since an October 15, 2003 alleged 
PKK/KONGRA GEL-linked attack on a Jandarma minibus in the 
Kurkculer suburb of Adana (REF B). 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Local contacts report that PKK/KONGRA GEL is targeting 
"traditional targets" in its latest wave of attacks, such as 
Jandarma patrols and isolated police stations.  The averted 
Adana attack is an exception to this pattern.  It seems too soon 
to determine whether it marks a shift in PKK/KONGRA GEL 
strategy.  (Comment: Reported PKK/KONGRA GEL arrests in Istanbul 
may lend some additional credence to the argument that the group 
is changing its tactics.  End Comment.) 
 
¶7. (SBU)  There also are two recent reports of civilians killed 
or seriously injured by stepping on landmines or encountering 
unexploded ordnance in parts of regions associated with recent 
KONGRA GEL activity. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment: Violent attacks by PKK/KONGRA GEL, if they 
continue or accelerate, are likely to result in tighter security 
control in the southeast which could well check progress on 
 
ADANA 00000067  002 OF 002 
 
 
implementation of the new EU accession reform laws.  End Comment. 
 
¶9. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
 
REID