IRAQ: REPORTS OF OSMAN OCALAN SURRENDER HAVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 001315 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; BAGHDAD ALSO FOR CJTF-7 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2014 TAGS: PREL ETRD MARR PTER TU IZ SUBJECT: IRAQ: REPORTS OF OSMAN OCALAN SURRENDER HAVE TURKISH OFFICIALS ASKING US FOR GROUND TRUTH - GUIDANCE REQUEST REF: BAGHDAD 521 (U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch. Reasons 1.4 b and d. Request for information and guidance at para 3. ¶1. (U) Turkish and Iraqi Kurd press have reported between Feb. 27 and March 4 that PKK/KADEK/KONGRA-GEL leader Osman Ocalan and between 15 and 100 of his followers may have surrendered to US forces or to the KDP, and that Ocalan is negotiating with US reps in Mosul to continue his activities there. Every day there is a new story with a new revelation or commentary. When asked by journalists about these stories, FM Gul said he could not confirm them, but kept the story alive by adding that the journalists should continue to pay attention to the matter in the days ahead. ¶2. (C) DCM, PAO and other Embassy officers have been asked about the veracity of the stories by reporters, senior TGS officials and MFA reps (including by TGS J-3 LTG Yalcin and his staff, and MFA Iraq Dept. Head Serra Erarslan). We have told them that we had no information that could confirm the stories but that we would look into them. ¶3. (C) GUIDANCE/INFORMATION REQUEST: We request that Dept. and/or CPA confirm that the US does not have Osman Ocalan in custody and is not engaged in discussions with this leader of the terrorist group PKK/KADEK/KONGRA-GEL. We will continue to draw on CPA Administrator Bremer's Jan. 28 (Reftel) language on considering the PKK a terrorist organization whose members will be treated as terrorists. We seek guidance on any additional language we can use with Turkish officials and/or press in responding to the continuing Turkish queries about the status of Osman Ocalan in Iraq. ¶4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN