Kurdish Suicide Commandos Strike

[kurd-l at burn.ucsd.edu]

From: Arm The Spirit <ats at locust.cic.net>

Kurd Rebel Human Bomb Hits Turk Festivities

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey [sic] (Reuter) - A Kurdish rebel suicide team struck on
Turkey's most sacred day Tuesday [October 29, 1996], killing themselves and
four others in the second human bomb attack in less than a week. Police said
a female Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla blew up an explosive device
strapped to her body when she and another rebel were in a police car after
being detained in the central town of Sivas. The guerrillas had probably
planned a suicide attack during a military parade in the town for Tuesday's
Republic Day, a national holiday that marks Turkey's foundation in 1923.
"That is the most obvious thing that comes to mind." the spokesman said. The
parade went on as scheduled. It was the third such attack since Kurdish
rebels fighting for self-rule in southeast Turkey launched a campaign of
suicide bombings in July. All three bombers have been women.

A 17-year-old PKK militant carrying a bomb under maternity clothing killed
herself, three policemen, and a passer-by in a suicide attack on the
headquarters of a crack police unit in the southern city of Adana last
Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Tansu Ciller slammed the bombers. "When this
generation of brainwashed living robots is exhausted, the PKK and its dirty
history full of hate will soon be wiped off the face of the earth," she said
in a statement.

Security had been stepped up throughout the country in fear of PKK
disruption to Tuesday's celebrations. The public was kept away from a
military march in central Ankara attended by Prime Minister Necmettim
Erbakan and President Suleyman Demirel. Security officials said police had
prevented a suicide bombing on another parade Tuesday in the southeastern
city of Diyarbakir. They said a male PKK fighter intending to blow himself
was arrested at the weekend. Anatolian news agency quoted the would-be
bomber, named as Abdurrahman Marangoz, as saying a leading PKK commander
code-named Dr. Suleyman had chosen him from among 100 guerrillas at a
mountain camp for the task. "Dr. Suleyman told me to carry out a suicide
attack in Diyarbakir on October 29th for Republic Day. I accepted the duty,"
it quoted Marangoz as saying.

Local officials said a series of Republic Day civic events planned for later
in the day in Diyarbakir had been cancelled. More than 20,000 people have
been killed in fighting between the rebels and security forces since 1984.
Erbakan, who became Turkey's first Islamist premier in June, has promised to
end the insurgency through "Muslim brotherhood". But like his predecessors
he refuses to negotiate with the rebels. A tentative peace bid backed by his
Welfare Party has melted away under pressure from the military and
hardliners in parliament. The PKK killed 14 soldiers in a single clash in
Diyarbakir province in fighting that began Monday night, security officials
said.


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