US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5378

S E C R E T ANKARA 005378 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2014 
TAGS: MOPS, PREL, PTER, IZ, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKS WELCOME U.S. APPROACH TO IIG ON PKK 
 
REF: A. STATE 201785 (NOTAL) 
 
     B. BAGHDAD 929 (NOTAL) 
     C. ANKARA 5116 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b), (d), and 
 (g). 
 
1. (S) Per ref a instructions, Ambassador described the USG's 
plan to approach the IIG regarding the PKK to MFA 
Undersecretary-designate Ali Tuygan on Sept. 21.  Tuygan was 
grateful for U.S. efforts to focus the IIG's attention on the 
PKK threat, but added that it was not clear to him how much 
the IIG will be in a position to do in this regard.  Tuygan 
said the GOT is prepared for a trilateral discussion on this 
issue, and he agreed that it would be a welcome matter for 
discussion for IIG PM Allawi when he eventually visits 
Turkey.  (Tuygan said there is no date yet for that visit, 
which had been scheduled for Sept. 7 but was postponed at 
Allawi's request due to the security situation in Iraq.) 
Tuygan undertook to pass on substance of ref a to FonMin Gul 
prior to his Sept. 24 bilat with the Secretary in New York. 
Additionally, the U/S thanked the Ambassador for arranging 
the Sept. 22 meeting between senior MFA officials and NEA A/S 
Burns, also in New York. 
 
2. (S) We note Embassy Baghdad's reasonable query ref b 
regarding the relationship between the PKK's camps in 
northern Iraq and the organization's renewed terrorist 
campaign in Turkey.  The RMAS and other reporting we see 
indicate that the PKK's main leadership is in Iraq and 
exercises command and control over the group's operations in 
Turkey from there.  Additionally, these reports indicate that 
terrorists do infiltrate over the rugged Iraq/Turkey border 
to carry out or coordinate ops here.  We defer to 
Washington's analysis on the broader relationship. 
 
3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN