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Kurdish insurgents take aim at Turkey's tourist industry
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
ANKARA — The Kurdish Workers Party has taken responsibility for a series of
bombings of tourist sites in southeastern Turkey. The PKK's Kurdistan
Freedom Falcons warned that insurgents would target tourism, which produces
$18 billion a year for Turkey.
"We are and will continue to hit the murderous, colonialist fascist
Turkish republic," the Falcons said. "The fear of death will reign
everywhere in Turkey."
The Falcons have claimed responsibility for four of five bombings this
week. Attacks were reported in Antalya, Istanbul and Marmaris, and nationals
from Britain, Germany, Iran, Israel and Russia were injured. In Antalya,
three people were killed in a Falcon strike on Aug. 28, Middle East Newsline reported.
"Turkey is not a safe country," the Falcons said. "Tourists should not
come to Turkey."
Security sources said the Falcons were believed to be a PKK wing meant
to target Turkish cities. In contrast, the PKK has focused on operations in
rural areas of the southeast near the Iraqi border.
Turkish authorities have been arresting suspected PKK operatives. On
Aug. 28, a PKK operative accused of planning a bomb was arrested in Izmir.
The semi-official Anatolia news agency said police also seized plastic
explosives.
"We believe that international terrorist groups, as well as indigenous
ones, are currently active in Turkey," British Foreign Office said. "Further
attacks, including in tourist areas, could well occur."
Copyright © 2006 East West
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