February 1999 Kurdish protests
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The February 1999 Kurdish protests were held by
Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
in
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
,
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and by the
Kurdish diaspora The Kurdish population is estimated to be between 30 and 45 million.T ...
worldwide, after
Kurdistan Workers' Party The Kurdistan Workers' Party or PKK is a Kurdish militant political organization and armed guerrilla movement, which historically operated throughout Kurdistan, but is now primarily based in the mountainous Kurdish-majority regions of south ...
leader
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 ...
had been captured at the
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
airport in
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
, after having left the Greek embassy, and was brought to Turkey to stand
trial In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...
for
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
promoting separatism and treason. In response to Öcalan's capture, Kurds staged protests in over 20 European cities, as well as in Canada and Australia, attacking Greek, Kenyan and Turkish diplomatic missions worldwide.Kurds Protest Capture With Violence, Threats
/ref> The Israeli consulate in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
was also attacked, after Kurds alleged Israeli involvement in Öcalan's capture. Since 1999, protests have been held by
Kurds in Turkey The Kurds are the largest ethnic minority in Turkey. According to various estimates, they compose between 15% and 20% of the population of Turkey.; ; Sandra Mackey , “The reckoning: Iraq and the legacy of Saddam”, W.W. Norton and Company, ...
, on February 15, every single year.


Background

In October 1998 after diplomatic pressure and military threats, Abdullah Öcalan was forced to leave his safe haven in
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 ...
, going to
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, where he was not allowed to stay. In November he flew to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. the Italian government did not want to allow Öcalan, however they were legally not permitted to extradite him to any country that imposed the death penalty. After being denied entrance to
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, Öcalan went to the Greek island of
Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
on February 1, 1999. He was flown to Nairobi, Kenya the next day. He was captured in on February 15, 1999, while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Jomo Kenyata international airport
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, 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 debatable help of
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
or
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 ...
. The Greek consul who harboured him, George Costoulas, said that his life was in danger after the operation. A Kenyan minister was forced to resign for allowing Öcalan and his guards to enter the country.


Protests


Turkey

In Turkey, violent protests broke out after the news of Öcalan's capture brokeKurd Protests: Angry Ocalan humiliated by Turkey
/ref> and troops were forced to fight protesters in many major cities. In
Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, protesters used hit and run tactics to torch vehicles and a petrol bomb was hurled at a bus belonging to Turkish Prime Minister
Bülent Ecevit Mustafa Bülent Ecevit (; 28 May 1925 – 5 November 2006) was a Turkish politician, statesman, poet, writer, scholar, and journalist, who served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four times between 1974 and 2002. He served as prime minister in ...
's Democratic Left Party, as police rounded up hundreds of PKK supporters. In total over 1,000 people were arrested and two prisoners set themselves on fire in Turkey, at least one of which died of his injuries.


Iran

A massive Kurdish riot took place in the Iranian city of
Sanandaj Sanandaj (Persian: سنندج, ; ku, سنە, Sine, often romanized as Senneh, is the capital of Kurdistan Province in Iran. With a population of 414,069, Sanandaj is the twenty third largest city in Iran and the second largest Kurdish city. San ...
, where a Kurdish majority resides. As a result, many were arrested and 3 Kurdish protesters were killed. The events prompted Kurdish activists to express their outrage on "Khattami's indifference".


Worldwide

* : Kurdish protesters stormed a UN building in the Armenian capital of
Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
. * : Some 50 Kurdish protesters occupied the Greek consulate Sydney and ended their occupation after a 9-hour standoff with Australian police. * : Protesters occupied an office of the
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPÖ) in
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
, they also occupied Greek and Kenyan embassies, taking five hostages. The stand-off ended on February 17 when the protesters voluntarily left the building after negotiations. * : On February 15, over 60 Kurdish protesters stormed the Greek consulate in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, and 30 remained to occupy the building, spreading flammable liquid and threatening to burn themselves. They, however, left peacefully after several hours. Some 40 Kurdish protesters stormed the National Bank of Greece in
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
smashing computers and furniture. On February 16, 300 protesters attacked the Turkish embassy in
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, hurling rocks and ice at the building, smashing several windows. 9 Canadian policemen were hurt during the riot. Police eventually managed to drive the protesters back with pepper spray and arrested three people. * : In
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
a group of protesters stormed the premises of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
. A woman was seriously injured after setting herself on fire. * : In Paris, protesters stormed the Kenyan Embassy, taking several hostages, another 20 were arrested trying to storm the Greek embassy. Several people were injured when police evicted 30 demonstrators who were occupying the Greek consulate in
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
. Several dozen protesters were also forced out of the Greek consulate in
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
. * : On February 17 200 Kurdish protesters armed with iron bars stormed the Israeli consulate in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, accusing the
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 ...
of helping the Turkish government in kidnapping Öcalan, allegations which were strongly denied by Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
. After the protesters managed to break through police ranks and enter the building,
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
opened fire on the protesters killing three and injuring 14. Netanyahu defended the actions, claiming that protesters attempted to take a weapon from one of the security forces. Furthermore, German police attributed attacks which damaged two Turkish cultural centers, a restaurant and a mosque, on Kurdish protesters. In
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
, PKK supporters seized a member of the ruling
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD), he was later released. The Kenyan embassy in
Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
was also attacked. In
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
rioters overturned cars and clashed with police with deployed water cannons and batons and some 50 protesters occupied a Greek consulate on February 17. In Düsseldorf 300 protesters occupied a Greek consulate and 30 were arrested. In
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
police stormed the Greek embassy, arresting 27 protesters, while a 17-year-old Kurdish girl set herself on fire in protest and had to be taken to a hospital. * : Fearing heavy protests, some 350 Kurds were placed in "preventative detention" in a disused army camp in
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. In Athens, over 10,000 Greeks, sympathetic to the Kurdish cause protested against the government for allowing Öcalan to fall into the hands of Turkey. In response Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Public Order Minister
Filippos Petsalnikos Filippos Petsalnikos ( el, Φίλιππος Πετσάλνικος; 1 December 1950 – 13 March 2020) was a Greek politician of Macedonian origin for the Movement of Democratic Socialists. From 2009 to 2012, he served as Speaker of the Hellenic P ...
and Interior Minister Alekos Papadopoulos were forced to resign. * : 20 Kurds occupied the Greek consulate in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, taking the consul hostage for hours. * : In
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, 150 Kurdish protesters stormed the Greek ambassador's residence taking three hostages, including the ambassador's wife and 8-year-old son. They occupied the building for several hours before releasing the hostages. * : in Moscow 49 Kurds were arrested after occupying the Greek embassy for 2.5 hours. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vadim Gustov condemned the occupation of the embassy but said the protesters were unlikely to be charged. * : In
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
Kurdish protesters occupied a
Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(S/SAP) office. * : On February 16, 30-40 protesters occupied the
United Nations Office at Geneva The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNOG ...
. In Zurich and
Bern german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website ...
, protesters attacked Greek diplomatic buildings, while in Zurich the protesters took the building's owner and a policeman who tried to negotiate with them hostage.
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...
br>Kurds storm UNHCR headquarters; new protests erupt
/ref> On February 17, 20 protesters forced themselves into the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
building in
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, minor damage was done to the building and all staff had to be evacuated. * : In
London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
50 Kurdish protesters occupied the Greek embassy for three days while some 3,000 protesters laid siege on the embassy. A fifteen-year-old Kurdish girl set herself on fire to protest the arrest of Öcalan and was hospitalized. * : Protests in the United States were limited compared to other countries. However, Kenyan, Greek and Turkish diplomats were given extra security in fear of violent protesters. Kenyan diplomatic missions in New York were shut during the protests


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurdish protests, February 1999 1999 in Turkey 1999 in Iran 1999-02 February 1999 Kurdish protests Kurdish separatism in Iran February 1999 events in Asia February 1999 events in Turkey