TALABANI AND BARZANI DISMISS KDP SUPPORT FOR PKK

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 003039 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2015 TAGS: PINS PTER PINR TU IZ SUBJECT: TALABANI AND BARZANI DISMISS KDP SUPPORT FOR PKK OPERATIONS REF: IIR 6 898 0544 05 Classified By: Charge d' Affaires David M. Satterfield for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) On July 19, the Charge discussed the report with President Talabani that the PKK is planning an operation in Northern Iraq. Talabani suggested there are actually two factions of the PKK in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). One, he said, is committed to terrorist action in Turkey. This group has dispatched PPK members outside Iraq and is apparently mobilizing for an operation. ¶2. (S) The second faction is growing larger, but its members are willing to 'live in peace' in their Iraqi hideout until the Iraqi government grants them asylum. The Charge noted the concerns of Turkey regarding the Kurdish Democratic Party's (KDP) provision of support or other facilitative services to the terrorist group. Talabani dismissed the connection, but expressed concern that the Turks would retaliate. (Talabani strangely added, "this would be their right".) Talabani also opined that Masoud Barzani "hates the PKK more than the Turks" because of the damage they caused the Kurds of Kurdistan. ¶3. (S) Talabani said the PKK had requested that he host a meeting with the Iraqi Transitional Government and the United States. Talabani added that he had rejected the proposal outright. ¶4. (S) On July 21, the Charge also raised reports with KDP leader Barzani of impending PKK operations and urged Barzani not to help the PKK. Barzani replied that he had no knowledge of any such operations. Moreover, the KDP has nothing to do with the PKK, he said; they are ideological and political rivals. Barzani continued that the Turkish army needs to understand that there can be no military solution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey. There are armed PKK groups in Diyar Bakir, Bingol and Istanbul, as well as other Turkish cities, he said. Turkey refuses to acknowledge this reality. Indeed, Barzani continued, except for allowing songs and books in the Kurdish language, the Turks have not acknowledged the Kurds as an ethnic group. Instead, Turkey prefers to blame Iraqi Kurdistan and especially the KDP for Turkey's Kurdish problems. ¶5. (U) REO Hillah, REO Basrah, REO Mosul and REO Kirkuk, minimize considered. Satterfield