PKK: PUSHING INTRA-EUROPEAN COOPERATION ON S/CT

S E C R E T ANKARA 000661

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR S/CT FRANCK URBANCIC
JUSTICE FOR CRM/DAAG SWARTZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2017
TAGS: EFIN PTER KTFN TU JO IZ FR DA BE
SUBJECT: PKK: PUSHING INTRA-EUROPEAN COOPERATION ON S/CT
TRIP TO EUROPE

REF: ANKARA 463 AND PREVIOUS

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


1. (S) Summary: Turkish MFA Security Affairs DG Hayati
Guven recommends that S/CT Urbancic use his travel to Paris,
Brussels and Copenhagen next week to maximize intra-European
information-sharing on PKK financial operations. He stressed
the financial links between the PKK financiers arrested in
France and Roj TV operations in Denmark as well as links in
Belgium and Germany. A new line of attack could be against
banking tranfers between Europe and northern Iraq via Jordan
and Lebanon and PKK connected people and cash taking
advantage of direct air service between northern Iraq, Europe
and Jordan. Guven recommended that the team meet with
Turkish Ambassadors, particularly in Copenhagen, where the
Ambassador has a reputation as an expert on local PKK
activities. Guven was very pleased by Urbancic's initiative
in making this trip and other follow-up to his November visit
to Ankara and looks forward to learning the results and
attitudes of Urbancic's interlocutors. End Summary.

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Info-Sharing Among Europeans Crucial
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2. (S) Guven emphasized that it is crucial to get
prosecutors and law enforcement in European countries to
share information with each other. This is essential to
attack the PKK financial network, which operates across
borders. For example, he is certain that Riza Altun and
Canan Kurtyilmaz, operating from Paris, are responsible for
Roj TV financing. However, French prosecutors investigating
Altun will not automatically share pertinent information with
Danish counterparts. The French should be asked how the
Danes can best engage with them and the Danes should be urged
to follow-up with the French.


3. (S) More broadly, information from the Altun
investigation could be helpful in pursuing other
investigations across Europe. Conversely, information from
other European countries -- especially Germany, which has
developed extensive information on PKK activities as a result
of recent investigations and arrests -- could be helpful in
the French case. But, once again, someone needs to ask for
the information.

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Paris and Copenhagen Meetings
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4. (S) Guven said the Altun case had been discussed with
French regional judicial liaison Philippe Dorcet, who visited
Ankara last week. A French delegation including
investigating prosecutors from Paris will return April 16.
The Turkish government will provide the prosecutors with all
possible assistance, including Turkish banking information.
Guven said the French remained politically sensitive to
public assertions by PKK sympathizers and political opponents
of Interior Minister Sarkozy that the arrest of Altun and
Kurtyilmaz resulted from US pressure. To give reassurance,
Minister Gul informed the French Ambassador this week that
Turkey understands that French prosecutors acted on their own
initiative. He noted that Altun in particular appears "very
comfortable" despite his arrest, brazenly appearing on RojTV
in mid-March in a forty-minute interview in which he
denounced the French prosecution (the prosecutors have added
the interview to their file).


5. (S) Guven continues to hope that France will agree to
extradite Altun and Kurtyilmaz to Turkey, but said he
understood that the most important thing was that they be
behind bars in France or in Turkey. He cited the example of
a PKK extradition case in Switzerland that seems to be moving
toward a positive conclusion based in part on guarantees

provided by the Turkish government (presumably relating to
punishment and conditions of detention). Turkey would be
ready to provide similar guarantees in the case of Altun and
Kurtyilmaz. They asked that Urbancic also discuss this issue
in Paris.

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Brussels Meetings
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6. (S) For Brussels meetings, Guven said the Danish Roj TV
prosecutor did not seem to be communicating effectively with
Belgian counterparts to get relevant information from
Belgium. The Turkish MFA had provided the Danish
prosecutors with a detailed note but heard back that the
Danes did not get the information needed from the Belgians,
either because of miscommunication or lack of effort on one
side or the other. Guven asked that Urbancic inquire on the
status of the Sputnik case. He said Turkish officials had
learned that an (unnamed) U.S. citizen was being
investigated, which could give Urbancic a hook to ask for
more detail. Although the risk of the expiration of the
statute of limitations seems to have receded, Guven was not
entirely confident on this score either.

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New Financial Front in Northern Iraq
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7. (S) Guven and his associates thought it could be very
useful to take a harder look at ways to interdict flows of
PKK money and operatives between Europe and northern Iraq.
As local banks become operational in northern Iraq, the PKK
is taking advantage of this to transfer money from Europe via
correspondents or branches in Amman or Beirut. In addition,
the PKK is undoubtedly using air services between northern
Iraq and several points in Europe, as well as Amman, to move
cash and people. European countries with such flights and
Jordan should be encouraged to crack down on such abuse. In
addition, Guven and his colleagues also thought the KRG could
show its seriousness by acting against PKK-connected bank
transfers and people movement.

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MCELDOWNEY