Retired colonel Erdal Sarizeybek has written a book entitled "I Have Seen Betrayal", which features accounts of his time in the Kurdish province of Hakkari, south-eastern Turkey, where the army was battling with the PKK (Kurdish Workers' Party).
In the book he recounts how he tried to "create the impression of a battle" by letting soldiers fire machine guns and missiles. Apparently he had informed the district governor (kaymakam) and prosecutor in advance and obtained their approval.
Official approval of "mad plan"
On page 183, he writes:
"I thought a lot about how I could prevent the terrorists from entering the district town [of Semdinli]. Finally I decided; it was quite a mad plan, but we had no other choice. I finally made my decision and met with Kaymakam Ahmet Bey and Prosecutor Bülent Bey. I told them:
'Honourable Kaymakam and Prosecutor. The situation is very grave. We are surrounded by PKK militants on three sides. It would only take one night for the terrorists to come here [to Semdinli] from Hakurk in the south, from Jerma in the east and from Basyan in the west. If they enter the town, we are face to face with the people and they will suffer. We do not want this. That is why will take this precaution.'
They both answered, 'Alright, Major. We are behind you to the last.'"
Then a major, Saribeyzek had started his duty as a Gendarmerie Border Batallion Commander in 1992.
Intimidating town population
In his book, he describes his "plan" as follows:
"My plan was this. Every two or three nights, I would throw a 120 mm mortar star shell over the district town. Then we would start shooting at previously arranged targets with machine guns, then we would fire missiles and create the feeling of a battle.
The next morning we would gather the people in the town square and tell them how much the town and the people would be harmed by a possible battle, and that we could thus not let the terrorists enter the town.
We did this. We did this at least once a week in Semdinli, and for a long period of time. You might call it madness, but we got results and prevented the people from being harmed, the rest is not important."
Sarizeybek also writes of how the army created "bearded teams", dressed them in PKK uniforms and sent them ahead to secure roads. (TK/NZ)
