GOT REQUESTS INFORMATION ON PKK MEMBER ERSIN SEFIL

S E C R E T ANKARA 003109 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2026 TAGS: PTER PINR PREL TU IZ IR SUBJECT: GOT REQUESTS INFORMATION ON PKK MEMBER ERSIN SEFIL Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) MFA Head of Department for Security Affairs (MFA's S/CT-equivalent) Nevzat Uyanik called us in May 25 to request USG assistance in ascertaining the whereabouts of a PKK terrorist who may have been killed in an Iranian attack on PKK forces in northern Iraq o/a April 23. According to Uyanik, press sympathetic to the PKK, such as Roj TV, reported the death of PKK terrorist Ersin SEFIL in the attack. Uyanik said that there are outstanding warrants out for Sefil's arrest in Turkey. He handed us a brief non-paper with information on Sefil (text in para. 5). ¶2. (S/NF) Uyanik reported that Turkey approached both the Iranian and Iraqi governments through diplomatic channels to see if they could confirm the reports of Sefil's death or provide other information on his whereabouts. After both governments failed to answer this request, the GOT is now requesting any information we could provide. Uyanik said Turkey was making this approach due to our close cooperation on PKK matters, including intelligence sharing. ¶3. (S/NF) We asked if Turkey had also approached the KDP with this request. Uyanik said that the GOT had not done so. (NOTE: The Turkish National Intelligence Organization serves as the GOT's chief communication link with the KDP. END NOTE.) He said Turkey's preference would be for the GOI to work with the Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq on this issue, though this has apparently not occurred. ¶4. (S/NF) We told Uyanik that we would seek to assist the GOT with this request, but cautioned that we may not have information beyond what Turkey has learned from open sources. We have passed the MFA's request to SIMO and EUCOM J2 for action. ¶5. (S/NF) Text of MFA non-paper: BEGIN TEXT NAME-SURNAME: Ersin SEFIL CODE NAME: Memyan FATHER'S/MOTHER'S NAME: Kiyas / Safiye PLACE OF BIRTH: ERZURUM DATE OF BIRTH: 1982 He was a member of PKK terrorist organization. He was being searched for the crime of extortion by the arrest warrants no. 2005/376 of Izmir State Attorney General's office dated 14/09/2005 and No. 2005/108 of Diyarbakir State Attorney General's office dated 27/01/2005. He crossed to northern Iraq in October 2005 and participated in the armed activities of PKK. According to press reports, he was killed by the Iranian security forces in Iran/Keleres region in April 2006. END TEXT Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON