Atalay visits Diyarbakir (in background closed shops) (Photo: Hurriyet.com.tr)
On 9 October 1998 the PKK-leader Abdullah Ocalan was expelled from Syria, from which he received support in the past. Due to Turkish threats of war, Syria decided it couldn't use the PKK any more. Now Syria is the 'best friend' of Turkey, while in the past Syria was described like this: "Syria’s use of terror to have political and economic gainings is the characteristic of the oppressive dictatorial regime and it is not solely against Turkey."
From there Ocalan went to several countries and on the evening of 15 February 1999, Ocalan was arrested at Nairobi airport in Kenya. In general it is thought that Ocalan was captured with American and Israeli help. The PKK remembers this 'conspiracy' every year on both 9 October and on 15 February.
When the Turkish Minister of Interior visited Diyarbakir on Friday, most shops were closed. He went there for 'regional diplomacy'. There were also clashes between the police and demonstrators in Diyarbakır, Urfa, Batman and Şırnak and other Kurdish cities of Turkey.
Source: Transnational Middle-East Observer
