Iraqi Turks were recruited against ASALA

Dear Friends,

Media sources mentioned on Sept. 20, 2005, that the Turkish "Zaman" daily newspaper, quoting from other sources, said that tasks were given to Turkmens (Iraqi Turks) in the operations organized against ASALA in Europe and Lebanon. The then Turkish president Kenan Evren gave orders to act against ASALA. At that time, Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı (MİT) put a program for operations, in which Turkmens brought from Iraq took part. The reason for giving the Turkmens tasks in these operations, according to the Turkish daily, was to refer these operations to Iraqi citizens, not to Turks, in case of being captured. The Turkmen recruits were first trained in Istanbul, and then they were sent on duty to countries like France and Belgium. After executing the tasks, some recruits returned to Iraq, while others resided in Turkey. According to the Turkish newspaper, ASALA made an explanation in 1985 that it took part in PKK's operations.