NewsPolitics

Turkey: National Security Council Convenes to Take Tough Measures in Anti-terrorism Fight

"Share this post on social media, spread the news"

TURKEY_SECURITY_COUNCILTurkey’s security leaders issue tough orders for the country to stand stronger against the outlawed PKK and take on a new strategy in the fight on terrorism

Turkey’s top security council convened Thursday to revisit the country’s anti-terror strategy, recommending the adoption of tougher measures against outlawed groups, making new arrangements in the law enforcement structure and pressuring the internal and international supporters of the illegal groups.

The bimonthly National Security Council, or MGK, convened Thursday under the leadership of President Abdullah Gül and with the participation of top civilian and military officials, just one day after at least nine soldiers were killed in an attack in the eastern province of Hakkari, bringing the total number of troops killed in the last month to over 30. The current state of the military’s fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and the developments in neighboring Syria dominated the council’s meeting, as both issues were interpreted as critically important for Turkey’s stability and security.

ANKARA SHIFTS TO HARDER LINE

Turkey’s National Security Board, or MGK, announced that it will adopt a harder line in its fight against terror, vowing to retaliate in kind against terrorist activities in a statement released after Thursday’s meeting. “[Turkey] will retaliate to terror acts in the most stern way,” the MGK said. It also calls on politicians to denounce terrorism, referring to a pro-Kurdish party. On Syria, the MGK urged Damascus to end operations immediately.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

During the meeting, which came a day after Turkish jets bombed PKK targets in northern Iraq in retaliation for the Hakkari attack, participants discussed a complete overhaul to Turkey’s strategy against the PKK, including the following measures:

Cross border operations: The Turkish Air Force will continue to launch aerial operations against PKK targets in northern Iraq as long as they are deemed necessary. The military’s bases in Diyarbakır and Batman have been reinforced with ammunition and other weaponry necessary for operations. Some fighter jets have also been dispatched from the Balıkesir base in the country’s northwest to Southeast Anatolia. Likewise, Turkey’s land forces were also mobilized in recent days, especially in regions close to the Iraqi border.
Mandate to be extended: Though there is no sign of imminent cross-border operations into Iraq by land forces, sources have not ruled out the possibility. Turkey’s last massive operation into northern Iraq was conducted in the winter of 2008. The MGK has decided to extend a parliamentary mandate for another year that allows the government to conduct cross-border operations since the current mandate expires on Oct. 18. The Foreign Ministry will hold meetings with the Iraqi government to ease the conditions for the Turkish military’s cross-border operations and its strategies of hot pursuit when necessary.

More intelligence from the US: The U.S. has been providing real-time intelligence to Turkey since late 2007, allowing the Turkish military to conduct efficient cross-border operations into northern Iraq. There are plans to demand more military assistance from the U.S., sources said.

Special attention to Hakkari: Turkey’s most remote province, Hakkari, which borders Iraq and Iran, has long been the theater for the PKK’s most deadly attacks against troops. Apart from geographical difficulties that hinder an effective military response, the province is also known as a place where the state’s control is weakening. In more rural areas of the province, a number of “recruitment camps” have been reportedly set up, providing an important source of manpower for the PKK.

“They have centers that they communicate with. [There are] locations of persuasion that they use to determine their action plans. I don’t want to call it ‘headquarters,’ but they have places where they make decisions and later carry out the actions,” Deputy Prime Minister Hayati Yazıcı said in an interview with daily Akşam. Yazıcı also complained of the fact that the number of people joining the terrorist organization was on the rise, according to intelligence reports.

Terror acts to escalate: As stated by Murat Karayılan, senior PKK member, the terrorists are preparing for more attacks both in urban and rural places. Apart from targeting security personnel, the attacks could also focus on metropolitan areas. Intelligence reports predict that the attacks could be expanded to the country’s Black Sea and East Anatolian regions. The MGK discussed ways to protect citizens from escalated terror acts.

Structural changes ahead

Police-military cooperation: The most important change in the strategy is creating an alliance between the military and the police in the fight against terrorism. The strategy envisages a central role for the police’s special teams, especially in rural areas of Southeast Anatolia. Authorities also hope to deploy professional army units in high-risk areas, particularly on the border with Iraq, meaning that newly recruited soldiers will not be dispatched to critical posts.

New role for governors: Under the MGK’s plans, governors will play a key role in providing coordination between the police and the military in order to avoid confusion. The duties and responsibilities of governors are expected to be reinforced through legal arrangements.

Intelligence pool: As part of the new mechanism, the intelligence gathered by different law enforcement units will be collected under one roof and will be processed at the Undersecretariat of Public Order and Security. The processed intelligence will be directly sent to security units in the field so that they can operate more efficiently against the militants.

Breaking political support

Political support: The MGK also reviewed the political support given to the PKK by some pro-Kurdish political parties and its effect on the fight against terrorism. A number of civilian organizations are in direct relationship with the terrorists, intelligence reports show, fostering the PKK’s increasing influence, especially in urban areas of Southeast Anatolia. Methods of breaking political support for the organization remain an important target in the anti-terror fight.

International support: The PKK receives some of the most support from outside the country anywhere in the world, according to intelligence reports. Its main financial source comes largely from Belgium, the Netherlands and some other Western European countries. Ongoing work with the U.S. to force some European institutions to cut the financial links of some groups known to be affiliates of the PKK will be intensified. The MGK also reviewed regional supporters of the PKK, in northern Iraq, Syria and Iran and mulled over ways to break these ties.

August 18, 2011
SOURCE: Hürriyet Daily News

HEALTH MUSEUM VIDEO PIC 2