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Corriere della Sera, Italy
Oct 5 2012
PKK Agents and Cells, Damascus May Respond by Unleashing Terrorist Attacks
by Guido Olimpio
Ankara is not concerned only by Syrian mortar fire. The thing making
it even more tense is the activity of extremist groups sponsored by
Syria and by Iran -- an activity pursued initially by the Kurdish
guerrilla fighters in the PKK [Kurdish Workers Party] movement but
which has attracted new players in the past few months. The movement
of factions situated in Turkey has been received with concern in
diplomatic circles in Washington. These factions may cause problems at
the opportune moment. US sources stress that the Turkish intelligence
services are very "carefully" tracking the THKP-C Acilciler cells led
by Mirhac Ural, who is said to be in Syria. Funded by Damascus, his
alleged task is to organize terrorist attacks in the Hatay region.
Those who know the real situation add that Ural has set up a new
group, the People's Revolutionary Army, with which to append his
signature to the attacks.
Kurdish sources tend to downplay the threat -- "They are a bunch of
desperados" -- although they go on to admit that the extremists could
prove useful to the Syrians to light "fires" in the south. The
intelligence analysis is that, as in the past, [Syrian President
Bashar] Al-Asad has the means to reactivate Middle Eastern
organizations which have a score to settle with Ankara. And it may be
no mere coincidence that a communique signed by the ASALA [Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia] appeared on the scene a few
weeks ago. The Armenian extremists' armed party warned Ankara: If you
intervene in Syria, we will attack you. Is it really them? Some people
suspect that it may be only a crude provocation, but reports bouncing
back from Aleppo suggest that the regime is manoeuvring to force the
minorities (including the Armenians) to take up arms.
One group that needs no convincing in that direction is the Kurdish
PKK. It has gone back on the offensive in the past few months, mixing
raids with terrorist attacks. On occasion it has even claimed to have
"freed areas in the south of Turkey." Such remarks are designed to
throw down the gauntlet at Ankara, and the general interpretation is
that if the PKK can do so, it is thanks to its friendship of long
standing with Damascus. That is true, of course, but a no less
interested sponsor is Iran. In early September the Turkish police
dismantled an espionage network linked to the VEVAK [Ministry of
Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran],
the Iranian intelligence service. This network provided the PKK with
material, with resources, and with information that it has used to
launch its attacks -- an involvement borne out both by investigations
and by wiretaps. The mullahs' moles are numerous, too. The local press
has been talking about almost 100 agents operating in the south -- a
fifth column ready to swing into action if the crisis deteriorates.
[translated from Italian]
From: A. Papazian
Oct 5 2012
PKK Agents and Cells, Damascus May Respond by Unleashing Terrorist Attacks
by Guido Olimpio
Ankara is not concerned only by Syrian mortar fire. The thing making
it even more tense is the activity of extremist groups sponsored by
Syria and by Iran -- an activity pursued initially by the Kurdish
guerrilla fighters in the PKK [Kurdish Workers Party] movement but
which has attracted new players in the past few months. The movement
of factions situated in Turkey has been received with concern in
diplomatic circles in Washington. These factions may cause problems at
the opportune moment. US sources stress that the Turkish intelligence
services are very "carefully" tracking the THKP-C Acilciler cells led
by Mirhac Ural, who is said to be in Syria. Funded by Damascus, his
alleged task is to organize terrorist attacks in the Hatay region.
Those who know the real situation add that Ural has set up a new
group, the People's Revolutionary Army, with which to append his
signature to the attacks.
Kurdish sources tend to downplay the threat -- "They are a bunch of
desperados" -- although they go on to admit that the extremists could
prove useful to the Syrians to light "fires" in the south. The
intelligence analysis is that, as in the past, [Syrian President
Bashar] Al-Asad has the means to reactivate Middle Eastern
organizations which have a score to settle with Ankara. And it may be
no mere coincidence that a communique signed by the ASALA [Armenian
Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia] appeared on the scene a few
weeks ago. The Armenian extremists' armed party warned Ankara: If you
intervene in Syria, we will attack you. Is it really them? Some people
suspect that it may be only a crude provocation, but reports bouncing
back from Aleppo suggest that the regime is manoeuvring to force the
minorities (including the Armenians) to take up arms.
One group that needs no convincing in that direction is the Kurdish
PKK. It has gone back on the offensive in the past few months, mixing
raids with terrorist attacks. On occasion it has even claimed to have
"freed areas in the south of Turkey." Such remarks are designed to
throw down the gauntlet at Ankara, and the general interpretation is
that if the PKK can do so, it is thanks to its friendship of long
standing with Damascus. That is true, of course, but a no less
interested sponsor is Iran. In early September the Turkish police
dismantled an espionage network linked to the VEVAK [Ministry of
Intelligence and National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran],
the Iranian intelligence service. This network provided the PKK with
material, with resources, and with information that it has used to
launch its attacks -- an involvement borne out both by investigations
and by wiretaps. The mullahs' moles are numerous, too. The local press
has been talking about almost 100 agents operating in the south -- a
fifth column ready to swing into action if the crisis deteriorates.
[translated from Italian]
From: A. Papazian