ACCESSION 
NUMBER:362959

FILE ID:TXT201

DATE:10/04/94

TITLE:SETBACK FOR TURKISH TERRORISTS (10/04/94)

TEXT:*94100401.TXT

SETBACK FOR TURKISH TERRORISTS

1VOA Editorial)  (330)

(Following is an editorial, broadcast by the Voice of America October 4,

reflecting the views of the U.S. government.)



International terrorism recently suffered a major defeat with the arrest of

Dursun Karatas, head of the group known as Devrimci Sol (Revolutionary

Left), or Dev-Sol.  Karatas was taken into custody last month by

authorities in Modane, France, on an international warrant issued by the

government of Turkey.



Formed in 1978 as a splinter faction of the Turkish People's Liberation

Front, Dev-Sol is an intensely xenophobic, anti-U.S., anti-NATO, Marxist

terrorist group.  Its activities are financed chiefly through armed

robberies and extortion.



Over the years, Dev-Sol terrorists have murdered a number of Turkish

officials, including former Prime Minister Nihat Erim.  In 1990, Dev-Sol

launched a wave of attacks against foreign interests.  The terrorists

murdered two U.S. military contractors and attempted to kill a U.S. air

force officer.  In April and July 1992, Dev-Sol fired rockets at the U.S.

Consulate in Istanbul.



Dursun Karatas, the terrorist group's leader, is believed to be responsible

for the murders of 37 people.  He had served nine years in prison for

terrorism before his escape in October 1989 along with Dev-Sol's

second-in-command, Bedri Yagan.  Four years later, Yagan was killed in a

shoot-out with Turkish police.  In April 1992, Karatas narrowly escaped

capture in a police raid that took the lives of 12 Dev-Sol members.



The arrest of Karatas shows how international cooperation can bring

terrorists to justice.  As Secretary of State Warren Christopher has said,

"recent incidents in Latin America, Europe and Asia make clear that the

effort to defeat terrorism requires a concerted international response.

The United States is working with its allies around the world to improve

coordination and intelligence sharing which will aid in the apprehension of

those responsible for these crimes and help prevent further such

atrocities."



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