ANKARA ACCUSES TEHRAN FOR MURDER OF TURKISH JOURNALISTS
By Safa Haeri, IPS Editor, from reports from Ankara
PARIS 18th May. (IPS) As relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey, it's staunchly secular neighbour has entered a new "zone of turbulence", Turkish intelligence sources accused the Iranian "Qods" special unit of having established at least seven terror networks in Turkey.
The accusations came as both Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and his Foreign Affairs Minister Isma'il Cem have, in the past 24 hours, renewed, albeit in a cautious tone, old past charges against Iran, such as "sheltering" Kurdish Peshmergas of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) or giving support to Turkish Islamist groups engaged in terrorist activities against Turkish intellectuals, thus signalling the beginning of a tougher stance towards Tehran.
Asked by journalists to comment on reports that Iran was involved in the assassination of prominent Turkish secularist journalist Ughur Mumcu in 1993 and Ahmet Taner Kisali in 1999, Mr. Ecevit said emphatically that it has been known for "many years" that Iran has sheltered separatist terror on its soil. "It is also well known that the regime in Iran wants, in its own words, to export revolution to other countries. As the investigations yield concrete results, we will reconsider our relations with Iran accordingly", he warned.
Noting that Iran was not "co-operating" with Turkey, Mr. Ecevit also regretted that Tehran was not "treating Turkey like a neighbour" and in answer to Iranian Foreign Minister's remarks that Turkey has been interfering in Iran's internal affairs, he counter- accused Iran with "interference" in Turkey's domestic politics "by supporting and sheltering terrorists who want to divide the country".
The Prime Minister made it clear that despite Iran's consistent denials, Turkey's intelligence agencies have "proof" that Iran is supporting "religious and separatist terror organisations". He did not emphasised.
Quoting investigation sources, the English Language Turkish Daily News (TDN) said Police forces have determined that a large Iranian-backed network has been operating in Turkey since the late 1980s.
Investigations have revealed that a group, centred in Iran and called the "Jerusalem Warriors Association," has been running seven separate groups in Turkey, the daily said, referring to the famous "Al Qods" Special Unit.
Placed under the control of Ayatollah Ali Khameneh'i, the leader of the Islamic Republic, this Unit is specialised in foreign operations, including the murder of many Iranian dissidents and supporting various Islamic-based so-called "freedom" movements.
"The Police say it has identified the liaison officers for each of the seven group created by the "Jerusalem" Unit but that the person co-ordinating them all is still in Iran, the TDN wrote, adding that the suspects in the Kislali bombing have admitted going to Iran on three separate occasions for military and political training.
"One suspect, Necdet Yuksel, said that there were also Iranians in the training camp who spoke Turkish and that these men frequently came to Turkey posing as businessmen to establish their contacts".
Two of the main suspects in the Mr. Mumcu implicated three Iranians in the murder during a police reconstruction of the crime, newspapers reported.
Tehran adamantly denied all charges and Iranian hard line newspapers reflecting the views of the Iranian Intelligence Ministry and radical ayatollahs accused Turkey of acting under "provocation and orders" from both Washington and Tel-Aviv and called on Iranian authorities to "downgrade" relations with Ankara. ENDS IRAN TURKEY CHARGES 18500