GERMANY/PKK: ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WITH TURKISH

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERLIN 001109 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/AGS, EUR/PGI, EUR/SE AND S/CT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2016 TAGS: PTER EFIN PINR PREL KCRM GM TU SUBJECT: GERMANY/PKK: ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION WITH TURKISH EMBASSY REF: BERLIN 988 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission John A. Cloud, for Reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Further to reftel, Global Affairs Acting Counselor discussed the recent possibly PKK-linked demonstrations and the recent German arrest of an alleged PKK leader with Turkish Embassy Counselor Kemal Tuzun April 25. Turkish Embassy on Demonstrations -------------- ¶2. (C) Tuzun said he made several demarches to the German government on the recent demonstrations. He told German officials that Turks in Germany feel threatened because perpetrators had targeted Turkish restaurants, markets, and clubs. The ongoing threat of violence was a dangerous development, he said he had told German officials. He had also pointed out that the size of the demonstrations -- a dozen hooded men smashing windows or at most a thousand peaceful marchers -- showed that the PKK has far less support in Germany than in previous decades, when tens of thousands marched. But the core of the movement is violent. ¶3. (C) Noting he had heard German officials differentiate between large scale violence, which would not be tolerated, and small scale violence, which might be tolerated, Tuzun criticized the approach saying appeasement of the violent PKK core would only result in further, greater violence. ...Recent Arrest... -------------- ¶4. (C) Tuzun wanted to check with other Turkish agencies before commenting on how significant the recent arrest of "Gulay A." was, but he added Turkey's view was that "every PKK arrest was important." He said the information he had received was that the arrest was coincidental; "Gulay A." had returned to Germany and German officials arrested her pursuant to an outstanding warrant, unlike other German PKK arrests when a long investigation preceded German law enforcement action. ...and Asylum -------------- ¶5. (C) Tuzun confirmed that PKK members claiming asylum in Germany was "not a big issue" for Ankara or the Turkish Embassy, although it had been in previous decades. TIMKEN JR