TURKEY: CONTROVERSY OVER PKK CEASEFIRE RAGES,

S E C R E T ANKARA 001197 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2027 TAGS: PTER PGOV PREL TU IZ SUBJECT: TURKEY: CONTROVERSY OVER PKK CEASEFIRE RAGES, THOUGH SOME SUGGEST IT WILL HOLD REF: A. ANKARA 1190 ¶B. ANKARA 1179 Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S/NF) The Turkish press is filled with stories suggesting that major PKK violence will resume imminently (reftels). However, the PUK's Ankara representative, Bahros Galali, told us late May 17 that his contacts believe the PKK's unilateral ceasefire, which it declared in October 2006 but threatened could end May 18, will continue. Galali has close ties with Kurdish politicians in Turkey and with Iraqi President Talabani, who Galali told us is working on PKK leaders in Iraq to maintain the ceasefire. ¶2. (S/NF) Another close contact also told us May 17 that Turkish intelligence has been working toward this end by using both its direct and indirect contacts with the PKK. ¶3. (U) The Turkish press, which has already been reporting on escalating military counterinsurgency operations in the southeast, claimed May 18 that these operations have stepped up again, with "many tanks," BlackHawk and Cobra helos, and F-16s. In the meantime, the GOT's High Counterterrorism Board will hold a regular meeting May 18, chaired by FonMin Gul. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON