Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Turkey: PKK hired Serb assassins in plots to assassinate Turkey’s top politicians

FOCUS Information Agency - The terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) reportedly hired three snipers of Serb origin to use in assassinations of Turkey’s top politicians, recent intelligence reports have found, prompting bodyguards protecting the president, the prime minister and other ministers as well as high-ranking military commanders to be placed on alert, the online edition of Turkish Zaman daily.

Intelligence units also warn against an increase in the number of road mine attacks in the East and Southeast against military targets in addition to planned assassinations. Reports say the organization now feels obliged to hire hit men because most of its best snipers have been exposed. The report says the snipers were arranged by the PKK’s branches in Europe. PKK members in charge of its European operations have contacted the three hit men and negotiated over the price, but the assassins have not yet entered Turkey, the reports said. The PKK reportedly plans to send the killers in the guise of tourists in the next few days.

The top-secret report has caused great concern in Ankara, with border checkpoints being placed on high alert. Border officials have been warned to be careful about tourists from Serbia. Security measures at the Presidency, the Prime Ministry and other ministries have been heightened.