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PKK's Involvement in Drug Trafficking
Terrorism is a serious menace which challenges the contemporary
world. There exist numerous terrorist organizations resorting
to a wide range of terror tactics, from slaying civilians
to attacking government officials. What all these terrorist
organizations have in common, apart from the violence they
apply, is that any single terrorist organization needs to
raise funds to continue its violent activities. Not surprisingly,
they use illegal means to finance their illegal acts. Therefore,
drug trafficking constitutes one of the major financial
sources of terrorist organizations, in addition to robbery,
intimidation, kidnapping, blackmailing, and arms smuggling.
Today, it is clearly evident that terrorism and drug trafficking
are intertwined. This fact is illustrated by certain international
documents. For instance, the Final Communiqué of
the Council of Europe Pompidou Group 2nd Pan-European Ministerial
Conference (Strasbourg, 4 February 1994) underlines the
fact that "considering the continuous increase in and
the spread of drug trafficking incidents, the involvement
of violent organizations in such activities constitutes
a serious threat to contemporary society" (Art.9).
Thus, "it is vital for the security forces to combat
terrorism effectively" (Art.15).
The UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances (1988) recognizes the links
between illicit drug trafficking and other related organized
criminal activities which undermine legitimate economies
and threaten the stability, security and sovereignty of
states.
Paragraph 5 of the 1992 report of the UN International
Narcotics Control Board (INCB) points out that "illicit
cultivation of narcotic plants and illicit trafficking in
drugs continue to be a threat to the political, economic
and social stability of several countries. Links appear
to exist between illicit cultivation and drug trafficking
and the activities of subversive organizations in some countries."
The 1993 INCB report draws attention to the organic connections
of drug cartels and terrorist organizations, and also to
the globalization of drug smuggling.
The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is one of the most vicious
terrorist groups in the world and is also involved in drug
trafficking, relying on all sorts of terror tactics, such
as: slaying innocent civilians, including women and children.
The PKK's drug trafficking activity constitutes a major
part of its financial apparatus. The money gained from illicit
drug dealings and marketing is channeled to funding its
arms purchases, in order to continue its violent acts of
terror.
The PKK smuggles narcotics brought from the Southeast Asia
and the Middle East to Europe. Surprisingly, for the first
time, a terrorist organization is involved in all aspects
of the drug connection, namely: the acquisition, importation
and distribution of drugs. The money generated from drug
trafficking amounts to hundreds of millions of US dollars.
Some of this is used to purchase firearms and other equipment,
while the rest is pocketed by those who carry out these
illegal activities on behalf of the PKK.
The PKK exerts sustainable efforts to keep its involvement
in drug trafficking under cover, in order to not attract
public reaction, particularly in Europe. However, the evidence
suggesting the PKK's involvement in drug trafficking is
continuously increasing.
The list below is compiled from reports by the foreign
media, foreign officers and the local Turkish authorities,
and proves that the PKK's involvement in drug trafficking
is continuously increasing.
The list below is complied from reports by the foreign
media, foreign officers and the local Turkish authorities,
and proves that the PKK's involvement in drug trafficking
( i.e. the PKK-narco terror connection) is self-evident.
- Three years of intensive police investigation by the
Slagelse Police and the Nacro Section of the National
PoliceTurn-out Force in Denmark has resulted in the solving
of several armed robberies whose spoils were used to finance
narcotics purchases. Police captured Inga Larsen of Denmark
who had links with two Turkish narcotocs kingpins living
in Denmark: Ali Nazim Sivrikaya and Kara Mehmet Secilmis,
also known as "During the trial, the close relations
between Carlos and the PKK was proven. Superintendent
Niels Bech of the National Police Turn-out Force expressed
that large parts of the profits from narcotics sales in
Denmark have returned to Turkey. "Carlos" even
got people to send the money via a post in Germany. In
one case, 140,000 were sent to Mustafa Agdeve in Turkey,
who in return sent kilos of heroin to Europe (Danish Daily,
"Berlingske Tidende," 31 October 1993).
- Hamburg Criminal Police arrested a Kurdish band of drug
smugglers on 15 September 1993. Children age 11, who were
also arrested with the band, later confessed to police
that the PKK brought them from Turkey to Germany via illegal
means, in order to make them sell drugs. The PKK is cruel
enough to abuse young children and force them to sell
drugs since they are too young to have penal responsibility
(Hamburg Local TV Broadcast, 15 September 1993).
- In 1993, more than 50 Kurds were arrested by Essen Police,
Germany. The Federal Criminal Department in Wiesbaden
discovered that the PKK was organizing drug traffincking
in Germany and that the narcotics trade in Hamburg, Bremen,
Frankfurt and Essen was under the control of the PKK (German
Daily "NRZ," 30 March 1993).
- In 1992, a total of 2,069 drug addicts died in Germany.
That same year, police arrested children, ages 10-12,
coming from Southeastern Turkey to sell drugs in Hamburg.
An eight year old child, carrying a firearm, was also
arrested. All these children confessed that the PKK was
using them to sell drugs, since they do not have penal
responsibility. The police seized 30 kg of heroin from
a Kurd who said he was to transfer DM 150,000 to his partners.
The estimated figure the PKK earns from the narcotics
trade is more than 56 million DM (The VOX TV, Germany,
12 February 1993).
- In January 1992, Bremen Police arrested a Kurd for selling
drugs. Police found a set of keys in his pocket, which
belonged to an apartment where Kurds lived. On the walls
were posters of the PKK and its leader Abdulah Ocalan.
The police also found some clues suggesting that the PKK
finances its armed struggle with profits derived from
the heroin trade (SAT-TX, 24 Hours, 6 January 1992).
- In 1993, police seized 200 kg of heroin in London and
, as a result of the investigation, learned that the drug
traders were working for the PKK.
- Sengul Karacan, captured in Caracas, Venezuela on 10
November 1993 while carrying 3.5 kg of cocaine, confessed
that she was a PKK courier. This incident proves the many
links of the PKK with the drug cartels even in Latin America.
- A police operation carried out in the international
waters of the Mediterranean, seized 3 tons of heroin from
the ship "Kismetim I." It was later discovered
that the heroin belonged to the PKK and was on route to
Europe.
- The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for narcotics, Ambassador
Robert Felbard, answering a question at a press briefing
in February 1994 regarding the PKK supervision of drug
trafficking in Europe and the U.S., stated that the US
had quite a bit of information about the PKK's involvement
in the transit of heroin into Europe.
- The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International
Narcotics Matters, in its International Narcotics Control
Strategy Report (1992), expressed that 2/3 of the people
involved in drug trafficking incidents in Europe are of
Kurdish origin.
- Italian Police issued a report (No: 777/C/1-1/2391/D2/91/DMS/ST),
a copy of which was also handed to German Interpol. listing
the PKK's involvement in narco-terror case by case.
- PKK member Hakki Kitay, captured by police with 14.5
kg of heroin on 1 September 1993, confessed that he was
acting on behalf of the PKK and that he was a drug-smuggler
and transferring 30% of the PKK's income.
- Sertif Kitay, another PKK member accused of drug trading
admitted in his statement to the court that he was selling
drugs to raise funds for the PKK.
- A PKK militant, Muhammad Abdullah Hasan of Iranian ethnic
origin, confessed that the PKK has drug production facilities
and that Osman Ocalan is in charge of the production which
is later marketed mainly in Europe to raise money for
the PKK.
- Abdurrahman and Halis Erol, arrested with 30 kg of heroin,
expressed that they were planning to sell the drug to
provide financial contribution to the PKK.
- Suleyman Bugrahan of the PKK also confessed that he
was smuggling drugs in the name of the PKK and transferring
30% of the money to the organization.
- Hasan Moglu, arrested by police on 3 September 1993
regarding an incident in which 100 kg of heroin were seized
in Kapikule, was found out to be a PKK member.
- Turkish Security Forces seized 120kg of heroin and 40
kg of hemp seeds in a PKK shelter in Southeastern Turkey.
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