US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1579

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001579 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, EFIN, ETTC, TU 
SUBJECT: TERRORIST FINANCING: TURKEY APPRECIATES USG 
EFFORTS WITH EU ON KADEK/KONGRA GEL 
 
 
REF: A. STATE 56318 
     B. STATE 38359 
     C. ANKARA 514 
     D. STATE 6143 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political Military Counselor Timothy A. 
Betts.  Reasons 1.4 b and d. 
 
 
1. (C) PolMilCouns briefed MFA DDG for Intelligence Kemal 
Asya March 16 on the latest USG approach to EU members on 
extending the EU's terrorist financing designation of the 
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to its successors, the 
Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK) and the 
Kurdistan People's Congress (KONGRA GEL) (ref a). 
DepEconCouns initially briefed Asya on this issue in January, 
emphasizing the need for Turkey to make a greater effort to 
convince EU members to support Kongra Gel designation (refs c 
and d).  PolCouns followed up in late February when he 
briefed Asya on the round of demarches our Embassies were 
making on this issue then (ref b). 
 
 
2. (C) Asya recalled our earlier suggestions that Turkey 
could do more itself by delivering strong demarches to the 
Europeans.  He said that after learning of our February 
demarches, MFA had instructed their embassies in EU capitals 
to make similar approaches, providing a list of recent 
KADEK/KONGRA GEL attacks in Turkey, although without making 
reference to the US overtures.  (Note: Asya admitted to 
PolCouns in earlier meeting that Turkish embassies had merely 
been going through the motions.  End note.)  Asya also noted 
that both FM Gul and MFA U/S Ziyal always raise the 
KADEK/KONGRA GEL designation issue in their meetings with 
European counterparts.  He said the GOT appreciated the USG's 
continuing efforts with the Europeans. 
EDELMAN