TURKS WELCOME U.S. APPROACH TO IIG ON PKK

S E C R E T ANKARA 005378 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2014 TAGS: MOPS PREL PTER IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKS WELCOME U.S. APPROACH TO IIG ON PKK REF: A. STATE 201785 (NOTAL) ¶B. BAGHDAD 929 (NOTAL) ¶C. ANKARA 5116 Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b),(d),and (g). ¶1. (S) Per ref a instructions, Ambassador described the USG's plan to approach the IIG regarding the PKK to MFA Undersecretary-designate Ali Tuygan on Sept. 21. Tuygan was grateful for U.S. efforts to focus the IIG's attention on the PKK threat, but added that it was not clear to him how much the IIG will be in a position to do in this regard. Tuygan said the GOT is prepared for a trilateral discussion on this issue, and he agreed that it would be a welcome matter for discussion for IIG PM Allawi when he eventually visits Turkey. (Tuygan said there is no date yet for that visit, which had been scheduled for Sept. 7 but was postponed at Allawi's request due to the security situation in Iraq.) Tuygan undertook to pass on substance of ref a to FonMin Gul prior to his Sept. 24 bilat with the Secretary in New York. Additionally, the U/S thanked the Ambassador for arranging the Sept. 22 meeting between senior MFA officials and NEA A/S Burns, also in New York. ¶2. (S) We note Embassy Baghdad's reasonable query ref b regarding the relationship between the PKK's camps in northern Iraq and the organization's renewed terrorist campaign in Turkey. The RMAS and other reporting we see indicate that the PKK's main leadership is in Iraq and exercises command and control over the group's operations in Turkey from there. Additionally, these reports indicate that terrorists do infiltrate over the rugged Iraq/Turkey border to carry out or coordinate ops here. We defer to Washington's analysis on the broader relationship. ¶3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN