US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5353

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005353 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PREL, TU, IZ, PKK 
SUBJECT: TURKEY OFFERS REVISIONS TO PKK "FRAMEWORK FOR 
ACTION" DOCUMENT 
 
REF: STATE 149796 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) MFA Director General for Security Affairs Amb. Hayati 
Guven called in PolMilCouns Sept. 9 to hand over Turkey's 
proposed revisions to the PKK "Framework for Action" document 
(reftel) as part of the trilateral U.S.-Turkey-Iraq process 
on the PKK.  Guven noted that MFA Deputy Under Secretary Amb. 
Nabi Sensoy had drafted the Turkish revisions.  Full text of 
the Turkish document in para. four below.  Guven said he 
would appreciate U.S. feedback on Turkey's proposals, and 
agreed that this is a "living document." 
 
2. (C) Following is the Turkish explanation for a number of 
their proposed revisions (there are other proposed Turkish 
revisions; these are the items Guven discussed with us): 
 
--Para. 1: GOT proposes to change the phrase from "eliminate 
the PKK terrorist threat" to "eliminate the terrorist PKK 
presence in Iraq."  Guven explained that Turkey wants this 
change in order to narrow the focus of the trilateral talks 
to tangible steps to deal with the PKK in Iraq (he described 
achieving these tangible steps as Turkey's top priority for 
these talks).  He referred to what he described as the 
essence of UNSCR 1373: "prosecute or extradite," saying this 
is what Turkey expects of Iraq. 
 
--Turkey seeks to eliminate para. 2 of the U.S. text (setting 
up direct contacts between Turkish and Iraqi entities) and to 
make this an agenda item for the next trilateral meeting. 
Guven explained that Turkey did not get the impression from 
the last meeting in Washington that the Iraqis were very 
serious about bilateral mutual legal assistance and 
cooperation.  He cited the Iraqi head of delegation's comment 
that the Interpol "red border" warrants "were just pieces of 
paper"--as well as the ITG's failure to send a delegation 
prepared to definitively describe Iraq's procedures for 
dealing with "red borders" and with extradition requests--as 
evidence for this claim.  In addition, no one came from the 
Iraqi Ministry of Justice, he observed.  Thus Turkey believes 
it is better that Iraq and Turkey agree to proceed 
cooperatively before establishing these contacts. 
PolMilCouns responded that perhaps if the relevant Turkish 
and Iraqi entities were to make contact now they could 
discuss a basis for cooperation, but Guven repeated that this 
should be a matter for the next trilateral meeting. 
 
--Para. 8 (U.S. text): Guven said that Turkey does not want 
the next trilateral talks to take place on the margins of the 
Iraq neighbors' interior ministers' meeting; these should be 
separate.  He added that while Turkey matched our wording 
that the next trilateral meeting should be in October, in 
fact the GOT believes it would be better to hold them in 
November, i.e., after Ramadan.  He asserted that meeting 
during Ramadan is no problem for Turkey, but opined that it 
would be difficult for the Iraqis.  Additionally, if the 
meeting were to be held in the region (for example, in 
Amman), Ramadan might also present a problem there. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: While the Turks are willing to continue the 
trilateral process--and want to work with us to manage public 
expectations--they are dissatisfied with what they see as a 
lack of seriousness by the Iraqi side.  END COMMENT. 
 
4. (C) Text of Turkish re-draft of Framework for Action 
document (as delivered--note internal paragraph numbering) 
 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
PKK Trilateral Talks 
August 6, 2005 
Washington DC 
Framework for Action 
 
Following is the framework of action proposed at the 
conclusion of the PKK Trilateral Talks: 
 
1. Iraq and Turkey respect each other's differing priorities 
on counterterrorism and agree on the need to eliminate the 
terrorist PKK presence in Iraq. Specifically: 
 
- Iraq recognizes the need for rapid and tangible steps to 
eliminate the PKK threat towards Turkey, including measures 
to be taken against PKK terrorists which will be discussed 
during the Trilateral Talks. Iraq also recognizes that PKK, 
as a terrorist organization, might pose a threat to its own 
stability. 
 
- Turkey recognizes that Iraq feels besieged by multiple 
terrorist threats and that its capabilities are limited. It 
attaches highest priority to the preservation of the 
sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and stability of 
Iraq. 
 
2. In conformity with the international practice, Interpol 
Red Notices will be duly treated by Iraqi authorities in 
execution of Turkey's demands for temporary arrests and 
extradition of PKK terrorists within the framework of 
Turkey-Iraq treaty on legal assistance and extradition. At 
the forthcoming meeting of the Trilateral Talks, Iraq will 
clarify which additional documents are required for the 
completion of extradition procedures and will determine its 
position on the bilateral treaty on legal assistance and 
extradition with Turkey and with the US, while ensuring that 
they remain in force, to allow immediate action against the 
PKK. 
 
3. Cooperation modalities between Turkey's and Iraq's police, 
security services and the Ministries of Interior will be an 
agenda item of the next meeting of the Trilateral Talks. 
 
4. Turkey and Iraq will consult on the need of training and 
equipment to improve the capability of Iraqi police and 
security forces to arrest PKK terrorists. 
 
5. Iraq and Turkey, with facilitation from the United States, 
will hold discussions on how to eliminate the PKK presence at 
the Makhmour Camp. 
 
6. Iraq and Turkey will further elaborate on the above 
initiatives in separate discussions underway among the 
Ministers of Interior of the Neighboring Countries of Iraq. 
 
7. Trilateral Talks will reconvene in October 2005. 
 
8. The United States Embassy in Baghdad will, if necessary, 
facilitate direct discussions of the above matters between 
Iraq and Turkey. 
 
END TEXT 
MCELDOWNEY