TURKEY OBJECTS TO NGO GENEVA CALL CONSULTATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 000175 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER UN SUBJECT: TURKEY OBJECTS TO NGO GENEVA CALL CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC REF: MALIK-SIEBENTRITT E-MAILS Classified By: Pol-Mil Counselor Carl Siebentritt for reasons 1.4 (b,d) . ¶1. (C) MFA Deputy Director General for Arms Control Ahmet Muhtar Gun convened Pol-Mil Counselor January 26 to register the Turkish government's strong objection to the request of the NGO "Geneva Call" to establish consultative status with ECOSOC. He asserted that Geneva Call has signed a so-called deed of commitment with the terrorist organization PKK/Kadek/Kongra-Gel. He stated the Turkish government was never consulted nor gave its consent to this agreement. The GOT believes, according to Gun, that the agreement with Geneva Call merely serves to bolster the PKK terrorist organization's presence and international visibility. ¶2. (C) Gun made clear that the Turkish government respects the goals and efforts of Geneva Call and related NGOs but cannot support Geneva Call's request for standing at the UN as long as it is in contact with the PKK terrorist organization, whose attacks have claimed the lives of over 35,000 Turkish citizens since the 1990s. He requested strong and vocal USG support for Turkey's position at the UNNGO Committee meeting on January 29. He added that Turkey has approached other members of the committee with the same request. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON