STAR- Columnist Saygi Ozturk writes on allegations that the Greek government is employing PKK members as spies. A summary of his column is as follows:
No matter how much Turkey acts with good intentions, there are no signs that Greece is returning the favor by abandoning its bad old habit of supporting the PKK. Reportedly, Greece's November 17 terrorist organization, which is believed to have state support, has launched a new arrangement to use members of the terrorist PKK in actions against Turkey. Greece, through the help of PKK sympathizers, is gathering information about our military units in Thrace. A new report issued by the Directorate General of Security points to the close state of relations between the PKK and November 17 and states that November 17 is in close touch with Abu Nidal, the RAF (a faction of the Red Army. The German terrorist group), Action Directe (Direct action in France), CCC (Fighting Communist Cells, in Belgium). The report also puts forth that Nov. 17 is in collaboration with a number of other illegal groups, among whom the PKK is also cited. It alleges that Nov. 17 has close ties with Greek intelligence and security units. A close, disciplined group of 20 forms the nucleus of Nov. 17. The report levels harsh criticism against the Greek government on issues such as Cyprus as well as Greek-Turkish, Greek-NATO and Greek-EU relations, which it considers to be of utmost importance for the country's national interests. Greece is the clearly the weakest link in the international alliance against terrorism. The unwillingness of Greek security forces to capture the members of November 17 and the ELA terrorist group has been noted by everyone. Despite certain steps it has taken against terrorism, the Greek Government has been unable to gain the trust of the international community in this fight. The report also states that the Tsamouria Liberation Army (UCC) was responsible for a number of explosions in Greece. Tsamouria is in the northeast of Greece, where Muslim Albanians live. The Tsamouria Albanians, whose problems are still beneath the international radar, not known by the international community are claiming that Greece has carried out a genocide against them and are requesting that the Greek administration grant them basic human rights and the recognition of their right to own property, compensation, and return to their own territories. The terrorist actions stemming from the Tsamouria problem have a significant meaning for those who can see the support that Greece is lending to the PKK.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION