US embassy cable - 03ANKARA7025

S E C R E T ANKARA 007025 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2013 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, PREF, MARR, MOPS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: PKK/KADEK CHANGES ITS NAME, PLANS TO HOLD PRESS 
CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN IRAQ: U.S. MUST PREVENT PRESS 
CONFERENCE 
 
 
REF: A. FBIS GMP 20031111000090 
     B. FBIS GMP 20031111000085 
     C. FBIS GMP 20031111000043 
 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch.  Reasons 1.5 b and d. 
NIACT IMMEDIATE due to urgent operational content and USG 
holiday closure. ACTION REQUEST at Para 4. 
 
 
1. (U) Press reports on November 11 (see Refs) cite a 
statement distributed by the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK 
in Baghdad stating that it had dissolved itself and formed a 
new organization to permit more democratic and broader 
participation.  The new organization is called the Kurdistan 
People's Congress, or KHK, and claims to be a legitimate, 
democratic and lawful organization in line with international 
criteria.  Ref B CNN Turk report says that the armed wing of 
PKK/KADEK would remain separate from the KHK and be called 
the People's Defense Forces.  CNN Turk also speculates that 
the name change was made to prevent having KADEK listed by 
the EU as a terrorist organization.  Both AP and AFP are 
reporting that the new organization will soon hold a press 
conference in northern Iraq. 
 
 
2. (C) Embassy Public Affairs officer is already fielding 
calls from Turkish journalists asking if the USG will 
consider the KHK a terrorist organization, just as it did the 
PKK/KADEK. 
 
 
3. (S) It would be a travesty if the U.S. allowed the 
PKK/KADEK/KHK terrorists, responsible for the murder of 
thousands of Turkish civilians, under their new name to hold 
a public press conference in an Iraq that is under coalition 
control.  Allowing it to take place will undermine the 
President's pledge to rid Iraq of all terrorists.  Our 
credibility is already strained by the fact that the 
PKK/KADEK/KHK leadership lives with impunity in territory 
over which we have responsibility and where we have troops 
deployed.  Our counterterrorism coordinator has publicly said 
that we would eliminate the PKK/KADEK threat from northern 
Iraq and that the PKK/KADEK had no future there.  Yet, this 
group has apparently just concluded a "Congress" in northern 
Iraq where it made its name-change decision.  To retain our 
credibility, we cannot stand by while the PKK/KADEK morphs 
into a new name in public before the press in northern Iraq. 
It is time for us to prove to the PKK/KADEK/KHK leaders, the 
Turks, and others that we meant what we said.  The future is 
now. 
 
 
4. (S) ACTION REQUEST: We request Department work with DOD to 
get instructions to CPA and CJTF-7 to take whatever steps 
necessary, with the assistance of the Iraqi Border Police, 
the KDP, the PUK, and the Bradostis as appropriate, to 
prevent such a press conference from taking place. 
 
 
5. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN