Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ANKARA528
2006-02-07 15:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:
TURKISH MFA OFFICIAL ON PKK DEMARCHE TO FRANCE,
how-toVZCZCXYZ0003 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHAK #0528/01 0381540 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 071540Z FEB 06 FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3002 INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0564 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 4067 RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5100 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 5193 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 9768 RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUCNFB/FBI WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU RUEUITH/TLO ANKARA TU
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000528
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR MBROOKS AND DMERKEL
TREASURY FOR RLEBENSON AND JSERAFINI
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN PREL TU FR
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA OFFICIAL ON PKK DEMARCHE TO FRANCE,
BELIEVES U.S. IS HAVING IMPACT
REF: A) STATE 13857 B) 05 ANKARA 7497 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Nancy McEldowney, for
reasons 1.4(B) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000528
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR MBROOKS AND DMERKEL
TREASURY FOR RLEBENSON AND JSERAFINI
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN PREL TU FR
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA OFFICIAL ON PKK DEMARCHE TO FRANCE,
BELIEVES U.S. IS HAVING IMPACT
REF: A) STATE 13857 B) 05 ANKARA 7497 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Nancy McEldowney, for
reasons 1.4(B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: We consulted with MFA Director General for
Security Hayati Guven January 30 on the USG-proposed demarche
to France regarding PKK. Guven promised a response in 10 to
14 days. Guven believes US diplomatic pressure on western
European governments is having an impact, citing Belgium.
Guven reiterated his desire for a stock-taking on US-Turkish
enhanced cooperation against PKK and said it would help if he
had a single counterpart as coordinator of the US effort. He
urged USG officials to raise at the political level the issue
of internationalizing the Turkish definition of terrorism.
End Summary.
--------------
Proposed Demarche to France on PKK
--------------
2. (C) We passed the demarche text proposed in ref a to
Ambassador Guven who said he would circulate to appropriate
GOT agencies and get back to us in between ten days and two
weeks. He did not express any disappointment that we were
not yet prepared to demarche Germany, since he admitted
Turkey was not sure how much Sakine Cansiz operated out of
Germany. He agreed that separate, parallel demarches with
the Turkish Embassy in Paris would be fine.
--------------
USG is Having an Impact
--------------
3. (C) Expressing appreciation for US efforts, Guven said he
believed our diplomatic pressure on western European
governments was having an impact. He cited the Belgian
Interior Minister's recent trip to the US, after which the
Belgians seemed to be making more of an effort to cooperate
with Turkey both on PKK and on Turkish leftist terrorist
group DHKPC.
--------------
Stock-taking Request and a Plea
--------------
4. (C) Guven reiterated his request in December for the US
and Turkey to have a "stock-taking" of the enhanced
cooperation effort against PKK. He would be willing to
travel to Washington to do so, if that helps. Referring back
to his earliest discussions of this topic with DAS Bryza and
Bryza's later non-paper, Guven said he was somewhat
frustrated by not having a single counterpart at his level.
-------------- --------------
Stalled Internationalization of the Definition of Terrorism
-------------- --------------
5. (C) Guven said the MASAK law (which makes improvements in
the counter-terrorism finance regime) had been discussed in
the parliamentary sub-commission and had moved to the
commission level. Guven expressed mystification as to the
exact status of the stalled but badly-needed modifications to
the definition of terrorism under Turkish law. For now,
Turkish law continues to define terrorism as attacks on
Turkish citizens or on the Turkish state. Guven is well
aware that passage of the MASAK law is not enough for Turkey
to comply with its international commitments. For example,
he said under current law Turkey could not prevent Hamas from
passing money through Turkey, "but we are vigilant."
6. (C) Although, the GOT had planned several months ago to
propose internationalizing the definition, and Guven said he
had secured FonMin Gul's agreement on the need for these
changes, he has heard nothing lately as to the status.
(Note: Our understanding is that AK Party members objected to
other parts of the package proposed by the Government that
are unrelated to internationalizing the definition of
terrorism. These members' concerns relate more to the
package's proposed enhancement of police powers. End Note.)
Guven thought it would be useful for high-level USG officials
to raise this issue with senior GOT officials, particularly
Gul and Minister of Justice Cicek.
--------------
Comment
--------------
7. (C) Guven's comments about the efficacy of our diplomatic
pressure are noteworthy, given the traditional reluctance of
GOT officials to thank U.S. counterparts for our efforts. We
need to reflect on how to make the process work better,
including his idea of a stock-taking.
WILSON
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
NSC FOR MBROOKS AND DMERKEL
TREASURY FOR RLEBENSON AND JSERAFINI
JUSTICE FOR OPDAT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN PREL TU FR
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA OFFICIAL ON PKK DEMARCHE TO FRANCE,
BELIEVES U.S. IS HAVING IMPACT
REF: A) STATE 13857 B) 05 ANKARA 7497 AND PREVIOUS
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Nancy McEldowney, for
reasons 1.4(B) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary: We consulted with MFA Director General for
Security Hayati Guven January 30 on the USG-proposed demarche
to France regarding PKK. Guven promised a response in 10 to
14 days. Guven believes US diplomatic pressure on western
European governments is having an impact, citing Belgium.
Guven reiterated his desire for a stock-taking on US-Turkish
enhanced cooperation against PKK and said it would help if he
had a single counterpart as coordinator of the US effort. He
urged USG officials to raise at the political level the issue
of internationalizing the Turkish definition of terrorism.
End Summary.
--------------
Proposed Demarche to France on PKK
--------------
2. (C) We passed the demarche text proposed in ref a to
Ambassador Guven who said he would circulate to appropriate
GOT agencies and get back to us in between ten days and two
weeks. He did not express any disappointment that we were
not yet prepared to demarche Germany, since he admitted
Turkey was not sure how much Sakine Cansiz operated out of
Germany. He agreed that separate, parallel demarches with
the Turkish Embassy in Paris would be fine.
--------------
USG is Having an Impact
--------------
3. (C) Expressing appreciation for US efforts, Guven said he
believed our diplomatic pressure on western European
governments was having an impact. He cited the Belgian
Interior Minister's recent trip to the US, after which the
Belgians seemed to be making more of an effort to cooperate
with Turkey both on PKK and on Turkish leftist terrorist
group DHKPC.
--------------
Stock-taking Request and a Plea
--------------
4. (C) Guven reiterated his request in December for the US
and Turkey to have a "stock-taking" of the enhanced
cooperation effort against PKK. He would be willing to
travel to Washington to do so, if that helps. Referring back
to his earliest discussions of this topic with DAS Bryza and
Bryza's later non-paper, Guven said he was somewhat
frustrated by not having a single counterpart at his level.
-------------- --------------
Stalled Internationalization of the Definition of Terrorism
-------------- --------------
5. (C) Guven said the MASAK law (which makes improvements in
the counter-terrorism finance regime) had been discussed in
the parliamentary sub-commission and had moved to the
commission level. Guven expressed mystification as to the
exact status of the stalled but badly-needed modifications to
the definition of terrorism under Turkish law. For now,
Turkish law continues to define terrorism as attacks on
Turkish citizens or on the Turkish state. Guven is well
aware that passage of the MASAK law is not enough for Turkey
to comply with its international commitments. For example,
he said under current law Turkey could not prevent Hamas from
passing money through Turkey, "but we are vigilant."
6. (C) Although, the GOT had planned several months ago to
propose internationalizing the definition, and Guven said he
had secured FonMin Gul's agreement on the need for these
changes, he has heard nothing lately as to the status.
(Note: Our understanding is that AK Party members objected to
other parts of the package proposed by the Government that
are unrelated to internationalizing the definition of
terrorism. These members' concerns relate more to the
package's proposed enhancement of police powers. End Note.)
Guven thought it would be useful for high-level USG officials
to raise this issue with senior GOT officials, particularly
Gul and Minister of Justice Cicek.
--------------
Comment
--------------
7. (C) Guven's comments about the efficacy of our diplomatic
pressure are noteworthy, given the traditional reluctance of
GOT officials to thank U.S. counterparts for our efforts. We
need to reflect on how to make the process work better,
including his idea of a stock-taking.
WILSON