TURKEY CONCERNED THAT PKK FRONT PARTIES ARE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006809

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2014
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY CONCERNED THAT PKK FRONT PARTIES ARE
RUNNING IN IRAQ ELECTIONS


Classified By: DCM Robert S. Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) During their Dec. 7 courtesy call, incoming MFA
Director General for the Middle East Oguz Celikkol told the
DCM that Turkey is concerned that two PKK/Kongra-Gel front
parties have apparently registered for the Iraqi elections.
According to the Turkish non-paper, the two parties are the
Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party and the Democratic
Construction Party. DCM responded that we would report this
information to Baghdad and Washington, but he also encouraged
the Turks to work through their embassy in Baghdad to bring
the matter to the attention of the IECI and the IIG.
Celikkol responded that MFA had already passed this
information to its embassy there.


2. (C) BEGIN TEXT OF MFA NON-PAPER:

Kurdistan Democratic Solution Party:
Leader F.M. Ahmet Kobi
Reflection of PKK/KONGRA-GEL's efforts to legitimize itself
in the political arena,
Official website still contains photographs of Abdullah Ocalan
All Executive Board members are former PKK terrorists

Democratic Construction Party:
Leader Esat Hamit Riyah Al-Abadi
Connected to PKK
Former leader of PCDK, Cengaver Hosyar Huseyin Ibrahim is a
member of party's Executive Board.

Both parties were denied participation in the National
Conference in Baghdad on 15-18 August 2004 due to their links
to PKK by the Iraqi Interim Government.

END TEXT


3. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN