HEAVY BLOW TO KADEK FROM SYRIA

The PKK has changed its name as KADEK after being included into the terrorist organizations list of the European Union in order to avoid the investigations of security forces. While the operations against the PKK's terrorists continue ceaselessly, an important blow to KADEK has come from Syria.

The Star Newspaper dated March 19th, 2003 published a column by Saygi Ozturk titled "Syria delivered 7 closest associates of Apo to Turkey. This column has drawn attention to the fact that Syria made a deep impact on the KADEK's terror in the framework of the terrorism agreement between Turkey and Syria.

The columnist Saygi Ozturk underlined the fact that "the success in the fight against the global terrorism depends on the international cooperation and solidarity". I would like to present this column to the attention of the KADEK's terrorists who resist understanding that the terror cannot solve any problem and of those determined and having common sense in the fight against terrorism.

"Syria has hosted Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the terrorist PKK, for 19 years. The terrorists fled from Turkey on September 12, 1980 started the armed training in the camp called "Helve" in Bekaa Valley. The terrorists trained there raided on August 15, 1984 into Eruh and Semdinli and murdered innocent people.

Following Turkey's final caution to Syria forcing her "not to give support to the PKK's terrorism", the terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan had to leave Syria on October 9, 1998.

After that, Turkey continued her efforts. She held a secret meeting with the Syrian delegation in Adana. One of the important articles in the protocol signed in Adana by Turkey and Syria was as follows: "An immediate and direct telephone line between the senior security officials of two countries will be established and start to be used. In the framework of the fight against terrorism, some measures to increase the security will be taken and a system will be founded in order to verify the efficiency of these measures.

Syria realized that she would not get any result from hosting the terrorist leader Ocalan for another 19 years and supporting the terrorist PKK and she could not use the terror in the "water bargaining". Syria has finally realized that there is no need to break the relations and friendship and good neighborhood are preferable, Turkey is more reliable country than the Arabs and Turkey is complementary factor for her own security. Syria, who has hosted the terror for many years, began to change her orientation as a result of Turkey's determined attitude in the fight against terrorism.
After the death of the Syrian president Hafez Esad, his son Beshar Esad replaced him and did not reiterate the mistakes of his father. He gave a definite instruction to the authorities to develop the relations with Turkey. There are actually very good relations between Turkey and Syria, which are incomparable with the past ones.

The Turkish authorities paid an official visit to Syria on November 18-20, 2002 and warned the Syrian authorities about the fact that the terrorist KADEK (PKK) would attempt to make important acts in Syria and Lebanon.

The terrorist KADEK (PKK) was planning a reorganization so as to become more efficient in the Middle East countries, especially in Syria and Lebanon. Omer Hayri Konar, alias "Hebat" and member of the KADEK's Chairmanship Council, was responsible for conducting this work. He was one of the closest persons to the terrorist leader Abdullah Ocalan and had a senior position within the organization. Due to his new tasks, he would transfer his responsibility for the Middle East and Syria to Selahattin Canavar, the responsible for Lebanon. During the meeting held for this responsibility transfer, the Turkish and Syrian security forces made an excellent operation and captured five leading member of the organization, including Konar and Canavar.

On of the terrorists captured during the operation said: "Hayri Konar is a very important person within the organization. Similar to the importance of Semdin Sakik once for the organization, Hayri Konar is actually very important person."

7 terrorists, including two ones who are very important to the terrorist KADEK, are questioned and as the result of the questioning the Syrian authorities could get new information about the organization. After the questioning of these 7 terrorists is completed, they are delivered to the Turkish officials in a very secret way and under the strict security measures in Cilvegozu border gate.

The leadership of the terrorist KADEK does not tell their cadres the fact that Hayri Konar and Selahattin Canavar are delivered by the Syrian authorities to the Turkish ones.

In the talks held between the Syrian and Turkish senior security units on March 12, 2003, the operations against the KADEK are assessed and it is indicated that the operations in Syria and Lebanon to destroy the KADEK will continue in the light of the new information.

The Syrian authorities seem determined to remove the trace of the terrorist KADEK in Syria and Lebanon."

In the framework of the fight against international terrorism, the cooperation between Turkey and Syria and their common struggle should set a model for the neighboring countries and the EU countries. The terrorists should be arrested and judged and the KADEK, which tries to escalate the violence, should be included to the terrorist organizations list of the EU as soon as possible.