IRAQ: TURKS CLAIM COALITION USING EX-PKK IN IRAQ

S E C R E T ANKARA 003578

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR NEA/NGA AND EUR/SE; BAGHDAD ALSO FOR MNF-I

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2029
TAGS: PTER MARR MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKS CLAIM COALITION USING EX-PKK IN IRAQ
OPERATIONS - REQUEST GUIDANCE FOR REPLY


Classified By: AMBASSADOR ERIC EDELMAN, REASONS 1.4 B AND D.


1. (U) Urgent Action Request at Para 2.


2. (S/NF) On June 23 the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC)
Ankara received a letter (text at para 3 below) from Turkish
General Staff (TGS) J-3 LTG Yalcin alleging that 30 former
PKK operatives now in the Kurdistan Democratic Party's
(KDP's) special forces had been used by the U.S. in
operations in the Najaf region. The letter further alleges
that these men were wounded, and had been visited at a Mosul
hospital and paid USD 3,000 by a U.S. team. ACTION REQUEST:
We urgently request guidance from Washington on how ODC
should respond to the letter and the allegations.


3. (S/NF) Begin text of letter from TGS J-3 to ODC Ankara,
dated June 21, 2004:

SUBJECT: Utilization of PKK/Kongra-Gel Organization in
Operations

We have obtained information that the U.S. is utilizing 30
ex-PKK/Kongra-Gel members of the KDP special forces in
operations conducted in the Najaf region. These
ex-PKK/Kongra-Gel members are assumed to be terrorists who
surrendered to the KDP before.

The PKK terrorists were injured in the operations and are
being treated at the Ibni Sina Hospital located in Mosul. A
U.S. team visited the terrorists under treatment and donated
3,000 U.S. dollars and some clothing. The commitment has been
made that the seriously injured ones will be treated in the
U.S.

It has been evaluated that it is not appropriate to utilize
ex-members of the subject organization, which is included in
the list of terrorist organizations, regardless of what your
purpose is.

Metin Yavuz YALCIN
LTG
Chief, Operations

End text.


4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN