Reşadiye shooting
Encyclopedia
The Reşadiye shooting was an ambush that took place on December 7, 2009, at Reşadiye
, Tokat Province
, Turkey
. Unidentified gunmen ambushed a Turkish patrol, killing seven soldiers and wounding three others. It was the region's deadliest attack in more than a decade, since the Sazak assault
in 1997; and last recent attack in Turkey since April, 2009 when a remote-controlled bomb set by Kurdish militants killed 10 soldiers in the country's southeast. The last major attack in Tokat was in 2001.
The attack occurred as gendarmerie
troops embarked on a patrol mission using a military vehicle. They were in a mountainous region with thick fog when they were attacked using rocket launchers. Early reports indicated the deaths of five or six soldiers and the wounding of ten more. It was later confirmed that seven were dead and three were wounded. One of the wounded soldiers was officially described as critical. Six of the dead are privates; the other is a sergeant.
The ambush occurred as Turkey's Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
was received in Washington, D.C.
, by U.S. President
Barack Obama
and occurred the day before a court was due to consider outlawing Turkey's Democratic Society Party
(DTP), the largest Kurd
ish party in the country. The threat of parliamentary resignations and a potential election lingered in the air. The Turkish army said on their website that they would maintain a presence in the area.
The seven dead soldiers were identified as Sgt. Harun Aslanbaş and privates Onur Bozdemir, Kemal Pide, Ferit Demir, Yakup Mutlu, Cengiz Sarıbaş and Fatih Yonca. The funeral of the soldiers the following day attracted hundreds of mourners. Some shouted anti-PKK
comments aloud. The dead were later buried in their hometowns. The Association to Serve All Families of Martyrs complained about the Democratic Society Party and how it had been "encouraging people to hate and hostility" and waved flags at an Ankara
courthouse.
The PKK claimed responsibility on 10 December 2009, according to the Fırat news agency. The Doğan news agency stated that the ambush was carried out by seven individuals led by Celal Başkale, or "Mahir".
and the DHKP-C.
, in its role as President of the European Union
, expressed its wish in a statement "that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as soon as possible" and reminded Turkey it had the EU's full support "in the fight against terrorism".
Turkish daily Hürriyet
suggested reports from Washington, D.C., indicated "it was obvious the prime minister was shocked with the sad news he received".
Resadiye
Reşadiye is a town and a district of Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The mayor is Rafet Erdem . It is near the town of Doğanşehir....
, Tokat Province
Tokat Province
Tokat Province is a province in northern Turkey. Its adjacent provinces are Amasya to the northwest, Yozgat to the southwest, Sivas to the southeast, and Ordu to the northeast...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Unidentified gunmen ambushed a Turkish patrol, killing seven soldiers and wounding three others. It was the region's deadliest attack in more than a decade, since the Sazak assault
Sazak assault
The Sazak assault was an ambush carried out in 1997, in the Sazak neighbourhood of Reşadiye, in Turkey's Tokat Province. Four Turkish soldiers were killed in the ambush and although no group immediately claimed responsibility, the attack was later revealed to have been a joint operation by three...
in 1997; and last recent attack in Turkey since April, 2009 when a remote-controlled bomb set by Kurdish militants killed 10 soldiers in the country's southeast. The last major attack in Tokat was in 2001.
The attack occurred as gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
troops embarked on a patrol mission using a military vehicle. They were in a mountainous region with thick fog when they were attacked using rocket launchers. Early reports indicated the deaths of five or six soldiers and the wounding of ten more. It was later confirmed that seven were dead and three were wounded. One of the wounded soldiers was officially described as critical. Six of the dead are privates; the other is a sergeant.
The ambush occurred as Turkey's Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Turkey
The Prime Minister of the Turkey is the head of government in Turkish politics. The prime minister is the leader of a political coalition in the Turkish parliament and the leader of the cabinet....
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
was received in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and occurred the day before a court was due to consider outlawing Turkey's Democratic Society Party
Democratic Society Party
The Democratic Society Party was a Kurdish Kurdish nationalist political party in Turkey. The party considered itself social democratic, and had observer status in the Socialist International. It was considered to be the successor of the Democratic People's Party...
(DTP), the largest Kurd
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
ish party in the country. The threat of parliamentary resignations and a potential election lingered in the air. The Turkish army said on their website that they would maintain a presence in the area.
The seven dead soldiers were identified as Sgt. Harun Aslanbaş and privates Onur Bozdemir, Kemal Pide, Ferit Demir, Yakup Mutlu, Cengiz Sarıbaş and Fatih Yonca. The funeral of the soldiers the following day attracted hundreds of mourners. Some shouted anti-PKK
Kurdistan Workers' Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
comments aloud. The dead were later buried in their hometowns. The Association to Serve All Families of Martyrs complained about the Democratic Society Party and how it had been "encouraging people to hate and hostility" and waved flags at an Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
courthouse.
The PKK claimed responsibility on 10 December 2009, according to the Fırat news agency. The Doğan news agency stated that the ambush was carried out by seven individuals led by Celal Başkale, or "Mahir".
Aftermath
An investigation by the Reşadiye Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office showed that the local village headman, Hidayet İ, was a secret informant of the PKK and had tipped them off about the soldiers leaving Reşadiye. Hidayet İ turned out to be a double agent, who had been an informant to the Gendarmerie, the PKKKurdistan Workers' Party
The Kurdistan Workers' Party , commonly known as PKK, also known as KGK and formerly known as KADEK or KONGRA-GEL , is a Kurdish organization which has since 1984 been fighting an armed struggle against the Turkish state for an autonomous Kurdistan and greater cultural and political rights...
and the DHKP-C.
Reaction
SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, in its role as President of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, expressed its wish in a statement "that the perpetrators will be brought to justice as soon as possible" and reminded Turkey it had the EU's full support "in the fight against terrorism".
Turkish daily Hürriyet
Hürriyet
-External links:* * ** * *...
suggested reports from Washington, D.C., indicated "it was obvious the prime minister was shocked with the sad news he received".