PKK IN EUROPE: LEGATT DISCUSSIONS WITH EUROPEAN

S E C R E T ANKARA 005399

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

TREASURY FOR OTI - JSERAFINI AND RLOEFFLER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016
TAGS: PTER KTFN TU
SUBJECT: PKK IN EUROPE: LEGATT DISCUSSIONS WITH EUROPEAN
COUNTERPARTS

REF: A. ANKARA 5269


B. ANKARA 4450

Classified By: Economic Counselor Thomas Goldberger for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).


1. (S) Summary: Following up on the DCM's recent meeting with
French, German and UK counterparts (ref A),LEGATT discussed
PKK issues with law enforcement counterparts at these
Embassies to increase collaboration on PKK issues.
Separately, the Turkish National Police (TNP) called two
meetings of foreign embassies' law enforcement officials to
discuss PKK attacks inside Turkey. Boh sets of meetings
reinforce the openness of urkish and western European law
enforcement t enhanced cooperation against the PKK,
reinforcing our conviction that trilateral working groups in
western European capitals could be established and would
result in additional law enforcement actions that would
disrupt PKK support in Europe. End Summary.

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Legatt Discussions with Counterparts
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2. (S) Following up on the DCM's meeting with German, French
and UK counterparts in July, Legatt met with law
enforcement/security officials assigned to Ankara. Legatt
expressed U.S. interest in PKK as an important terrorist
group even though the PKK has not conducted attacks on
America or Americans. The Europeans were receptive and
described their own cooperation with Turkey against PKK.
They agreed to regular consultations with Legatt on PKK.


3. (S) The German BKA official who has been in Ankara for
many years outlined Germany's robust cooperation with Turkey
against PKK. The two countries have a law enforcement
cooperation agreement ratified by both parliaments which
mandates information-sharing -- it goes well beyond a Mutual
Legal Assistance Treaty. The agreement requires that twice a
year a group of German police come to Ankara's TADOC training
center for training and that once a year a group of Turkish
police go to Germany for a training. The BKA official tends
to deal primarily with the Turkish National Police, not other
law enforcement or intelligence agencies.


4. (S) The French security official distinguished between
Germany, with its roughly 2 million Kurds and France, which
has only 300,000. He said it was inappropriate to compare
the extent of cooperation against the PKK with such different
circumstances. He agreed to provide additional information
on the recent arrests in France of suspected PKK operatives.


5. (S) The Legatt office continues its ongoing discussions
with UK counterparts on PKK matters. The UK Embassy here has
taken an increasing interest in the PKK in recent months.

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Turkish Police Convoke Foreign Embassy Law Enforcement
Officials re PKK Attacks
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6. (S) Separately, the TNP has called two meetings in recent
weeks regarding PKK attacks in Turkey. Following the wave of
bombings in tourist areas in late August and again following
the September 12 bombing in Diyarbarkir, the TNP invited all
law enforcement officials at foreign embassies in Ankara to
share information and request help. This represents a new
tack by TNP which has tended in the past to prefer to deal
with other countries on a strictly bilateral basis. On the
Turkish side, only he TNP has been present at the two
meetings--tere have been no representatives of the Jandarma
or the Turkish National Intelligence Organization.

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Comment
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7. (S) Both sets of meetings show the openness of Turkish and
foreign lw enforcement to enhanced cooperation against the
PKK. On PKK-in-Europe, the receptivity of the European law
enforcement officials is yet another indication of openness
to working with us and Turkey on PKK. This is particularly
true of law enforcement agencies, who are less prone to
harbor romantic illusions about the PKK and its front
organizations than other European officials sometimes seem.
The receptivity of the European law enforcement agencies in
Ankara reinforces our conviction that trilateral working
groups in western European capitals would enable all sides to
not only share information but also to identify targets
resulting in additional law enforcement actions. The recent
arrests in Europe are only the tip of the iceberg: much more
could be accomplished through intensified cooperation in
western European capitals.



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WILSON