US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5000

S E C R E T ANKARA 005000 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, PGOV, PINS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: TURKEY IMPLEMENTS PKK/KADEK REINTEGRATION LAW, 
PRESSES FOR START OF U.S.-TURKISH TALKS 
 
 
REF: ANKARA 4864 
 
 
(U) Classified by Polcouns John Kunstadter; reasons: 1.5 
(b,d). 
 
 
1. (S) Summary: Implementing its newly-ratified Reintegration 
Law to attract PKK/KADEK members back from Iraq and Western 
Europe, the GOT is pushing strongly for U.S.-Turkish talks on 
PKK/KADEK to begin soonest.  End summary. 
 
 
2. (C) Aug. 7 we pressed MFA DDG for Intelligence Kemal Asya 
for details of implementation of Turkey's new Reintegration 
Law, which President Sezer ratified earlier this week. 
 
 
3. (S) Noting that the law went into effect only on Aug. 6, 
Asya acknowledged it will take several weeks to judge its 
effectiveness in attracting PKK/KADEK members to hand 
themselves over.  He agreed that the major factor in ensuring 
the law's attractiveness will be the speed and care with 
which Turkish authorities process and release PKK/KADEKers 
determined not to have participated in violent acts. 
 
 
4. (S) Asya conceded that the prospect of heavy prison 
sentences for those implicated in violent acts would likely 
make them seek asylum in Iran, Sweden or other countries 
rather than return.  Asya reiterated GOT concern that the 
PKK/KADEK leadership now in Iraq would head to Western 
Europe, a development which would concern the GOT deeply and 
which, he implied, could have an effect on GOT perceptions of 
U.S. willingness to help eliminate PKK/KADEK. 
 
 
5. (S) In response, we reiterated the USG's stated intent to 
eliminate PKK/KADEK from Iraq and foreclose any further use 
of Iraqi territory by terrorist organizations threatening 
Turkey.  At the same time we noted rumors circulating among 
anti-PKK/KADEK Kurdish nationalists in Turkey that the 
Turkish State is using PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, serving a 
life sentence, as a tool to drive a wedge between Kurdish 
nationalists in Turkey and Barzani/Talebani.  In response, 
Asya merely counter-probed for our assessment of Kurdish 
sentiment in Turkey. 
 
 
6. (S) Asya said Turkish embassies in Western Europe are 
instructed to facilitate issuance of passports to those 
wishing to return from there.  The GOT has set up processing 
facilities in Kirklareli (northwest of Istanbul), Silopi near 
the meeting point of the Turkish-Syrian-Iraqi borders, and 
Van (for returnees from Iran or the Caucasus).  The aim is to 
finish the identification and release within two days of 
those not associated with violent acts.  Those subject to 
indictment would be held for an initial four-day 
investigation period, extendable to a total investigatory 
detention time of 15 days before pre-trial detention. 
 
 
7. (S) We requested a continual flow of MFA readouts on 
results.  Asya undertook to provide us a first readout toward 
the end of the week of Aug. 11.  Underscoring the GOT's 
expectation that the U.S. will initiate talks on PKK/KADEK 
soonest and expressing the GOT's strong preference for the 
talks to take place in Ankara, Asya then asked suspiciously 
whether the U.S. request for updates on the law's effect 
would serve as a reason to delay the start of talks.  Despite 
our strong and immediate demurral (we subsequently came back 
to this point to emphasize the lack of linkage), Asya 
appeared uneasy. 
DEUTSCH