PKK/KADEK CHANGES ITS NAME, PLANS TO HOLD PRESS

S E C R E T ANKARA 007025

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/08/2013
TAGS: PTER PREL PREF MARR MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: PKK/KADEK CHANGES ITS NAME, PLANS TO HOLD PRESS
CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN IRAQ: U.S. MUST PREVENT PRESS
CONFERENCE


REF: A. FBIS GMP 20031111000090

B. FBIS GMP 20031111000085

C. FBIS GMP 20031111000043


(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch. Reasons 1.5 b and d.
NIACT IMMEDIATE due to urgent operational content and USG
holiday closure. ACTION REQUEST at Para 4.



1. (U) Press reports on November 11 (see Refs) cite a
statement distributed by the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK
in Baghdad stating that it had dissolved itself and formed a
new organization to permit more democratic and broader
participation. The new organization is called the Kurdistan
People's Congress, or KHK, and claims to be a legitimate,
democratic and lawful organization in line with international
criteria. Ref B CNN Turk report says that the armed wing of
PKK/KADEK would remain separate from the KHK and be called
the People's Defense Forces. CNN Turk also speculates that
the name change was made to prevent having KADEK listed by
the EU as a terrorist organization. Both AP and AFP are
reporting that the new organization will soon hold a press
conference in northern Iraq.



2. (C) Embassy Public Affairs officer is already fielding
calls from Turkish journalists asking if the USG will
consider the KHK a terrorist organization, just as it did the
PKK/KADEK.



3. (S) It would be a travesty if the U.S. allowed the
PKK/KADEK/KHK terrorists, responsible for the murder of
thousands of Turkish civilians, under their new name to hold
a public press conference in an Iraq that is under coalition
control. Allowing it to take place will undermine the
President's pledge to rid Iraq of all terrorists. Our
credibility is already strained by the fact that the
PKK/KADEK/KHK leadership lives with impunity in territory
over which we have responsibility and where we have troops
deployed. Our counterterrorism coordinator has publicly said
that we would eliminate the PKK/KADEK threat from northern
Iraq and that the PKK/KADEK had no future there. Yet, this
group has apparently just concluded a "Congress" in northern
Iraq where it made its name-change decision. To retain our
credibility, we cannot stand by while the PKK/KADEK morphs
into a new name in public before the press in northern Iraq.
It is time for us to prove to the PKK/KADEK/KHK leaders, the
Turks, and others that we meant what we said. The future is
now.



4. (S) ACTION REQUEST: We request Department work with DOD to
get instructions to CPA and CJTF-7 to take whatever steps
necessary, with the assistance of the Iraqi Border Police,
the KDP, the PUK, and the Bradostis as appropriate, to
prevent such a press conference from taking place.



5. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN