PKK IN EUROPE UPDATE WITH TURKISH MFA

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 003619 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREASURY FOR OTI - RLOEFFLER/JSERAFINI JUSTICE FOR OPDAT - JSILVERWOOD E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016 TAGS: PTER KTFN TU SUBJECT: PKK IN EUROPE UPDATE WITH TURKISH MFA REF: A. ANKARA 2971 ¶B. LONDON 3922 ¶C. BERLIN 1443 Classified By: Economic Counselor Thomas Goldberger for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (S) Summary: Turkish MFA Deputy Director General for Security Affairs Huseyin Bicakli expressed appreciation for USG efforts against PKK in western Europe, noting that they were having an effect. Bicakli supported the creation of trilateral working groups in key western European capitals in order to operationalize Europeans' receptiveness to enhanced coopertion against PKK. He said the Syrians have claimed that the PKK is cooperating with al-Qaida in northern Iraq and asked if the U.S. had any information about such cooperation. Turkey has offered to host a follow-up session to the Interpol conference on PKK in Prague that has raised the profile of the issue. End Summary. -------------- Trilateral Working Groups: -------------- ¶2. (S) Bicakli told us that MFA has been receiving reports from its Embassies about our active work in western Europe, specifically in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Oslo. In Oslo, he said the U.S. Embassy had engaged with the Turkish Embassy after receiving instructions from Washingto. We told him the U.S. Embassy in London ad also approached the UK government which had been receptive. Bicakli expressed appreciatin for these USG efforts, noting they were having an impact. He was not aware of the recent extradition of a PKK activist from Austria to Germany. On the Zubeyde Ersoz case in Luxembourg, Bicakli's only comment was that the Turkish Embassy has not yet received any formal notification from the host government about the release of Ersoz. ¶3. (S) Econcouns asked Bicakli to think about how to build on the receptivity in western Europe to operationalize the law enforcement effort. To be most effective, law enforcement and intelligence officials from the U.S., Turkey and individual western European governments need to maximize information-sharing and try to collectively identify what is known and what needs to be collected. Such working groups, beginning in key countries like France and Germany, could develop action plans. Bicakli agreed. He said he understood the U.S. was thinking about a conference on the PKK issue. Econcouns explained that a conference was also under consideration which would draw out the connections between terrorism and organized crime. -------------- Prague Interpol Conference -------------- ¶4. (S) Bicakli said Turkey was pleased with the Prague conference on PKK organized by Interpol, since it was the first such gathering by law enforcement and intelligence officials focused on PKK. He was glad that the U.S. had been represented by a large delegation. Both the Canadians and Dutch gave presentations on operations they had conducted against PKK activities in their countries. Bicakli said Turkey had offered to hold a follow-up conference in Turkey. -------------- Syrian Cooperation Against PKK -------------- ¶5. (S) Bicakli told us the Syrians tell Turkish National Police there is evidence of PKK cooperation with al-Qaeda. Bicakli asked whether the U.S. had any such indication. Overall, Bicakli characterized Syrian cooperation with Turkey against PKK as waxing or waning depending on the degree of international pressure on Syria. He said that in recent years the PKK has tended to use Syrian citizens for its operations in Syria, such that when caught they are not turned over to Turkey. He said there are around 150 PKK ANKARA 00003619 002 OF 002 operatives in prison in Syria. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON