The attack on the Israeli consulate in Berlin was perpetrated by PKK supporters on the Israeli consulate in Berlin, Germany, on 17 February 1999. Three people were killed and 14 were injured after security forces at the consulate opened fire on the PKK supporters.

Background

In October 1998

Abdullah Öcalan Abdullah Öcalan ( ; ; born 4 April 1949), also known as Apo (short for Abdullah in Turkish and Kurdish for "uncle"), is a political prisoner and founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Öcalan was based in Syria from ...

, leader of the PKK, was forced to leave

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

for Moscow, Russia, where he was not allowed to stay, before flying to Rome, Italy. The Italian government did not want to allow Öcalan to stay, however they were legally not permitted to extradite him to Turkey, where he could face the death penalty. After being denied entrance to Germany, the Netherlands and France, Öcalan went to Greece on 1 February 1999. He was captured on 15 February 1999, while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, in an operation by the

Millî İstihbarat Teşkilâtı The National Intelligence Organization ( tr, Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MİT) is the state intelligence agency of Turkey. Established in 1965 to replace National Security Service, its aim is to gather information about the current and po ...

, with alleged help from the CIA and

Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...

Attack

Worldwide protests broke out after the news of Öcalan's capture, which took place in Kenya by

Turkish intelligence The National Intelligence Organization ( tr, Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MİT) is the state intelligence agency of Turkey. Established in 1965 to replace National Security Service (Turkey), National Security Service, its aim is to gather i ...

, with cooperation of Greece. 55 to 200 PKK supporters armed with iron bars stormed the Israeli consulate in Berlin on 17 February, accusing the Mossad of allegedly helping the Turkish government in

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

Öcalan. When the protesters managed to break through police ranks and enter the consulate building, Israeli security opened fire on the attackers, killing three and injuring 14. Later, German police arrested 30 PKK supporters and cordoned off all area as helicopters circled over consulate building.

Aftermath

In the immediate aftermath, Benjamin Netanyahu defended the actions of the security guards, saying that protesters had attempted to take a weapon from them. Israel increased the guard on all its missions abroad. The Israeli ambassador to Germany at the time, Avi Primor, later disputed the contention that in shooting at the protestors, the security guards had acted in self-defence: "From today's perspective we can see that it was not a case of self-defence."

References

{{reflist 1999 in Berlin 1999 in international relations Attacks on diplomatic missions of Israel February 1999 crimes February 1999 events in Germany Germany–Israel relations Hostage taking in Germany Kurdistan Workers' Party attacks Terrorist incidents in Berlin Terrorist incidents in Germany in 1999 1999 murders in Germany 1990s murders in Berlin