US embassy cable - 03ADANA280

UNCLAS ADANA 0280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PGOV, PHUM, TU, IZ, ADANA 
SUBJECT: SE PRESS REACTION TO NORTHERN IRAQ 
CLASH NOVEMBER 13, 2003. 
 
 
1. OZGUR GUNDEM: The officials from KADEK, which 
dissolved itself two days ago, said that there 
had been a small-scale clash between their 
militants and a group of Border Patrol Police 
at Haftanin region in Kurdistan. It is reported 
that two HPG, People's Protection Forces, 
members ran into border patrol police, and one 
guerilla was held by the peshmergas as a result 
of the tension that arose. Meanwhile another 
HPG member informed the nearest guerilla unit 
of the incident. Clashes burst out between the 
peshmergas and the guerilla unit dispatched to 
the scene. Thanks to efforts by both sides, the 
clashes were halted and the guerilla who had 
been held was released. There were some slight 
wounds, but no casualties have been reported. 
The KADEK officials verified the presence of US 
troops among the peshmerga group, and added 
that the US soldiers made efforts to end the 
clashes and overcome the crisis. KADEK 
officials underlined that the PDK forces and 
the US forces in the region were not 
operational forces, and that they did not have 
any problems PKK/KADEK. 
 
 
2. RADIKAL: The US rebutted the news that appeared 
in the Turkish press claiming that "The US and 
Kurdish peshmergas exchanged prisoners with 
PKK. The US announced that it still held the 
PDR (Democratic Liberation Party) guerillas. 
The Turkish side has been insisting that they 
exchanged prisoners during the clashes on 
Saturday. The Turkish officials said the Tukish 
General Staff was examining the incident, and 
the picture would become clearer with the 
conclusion of the investigation. 
REID