PKK TERRORISM: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO UPDATED

S E C R E T ROME 002513 SIPDIS SIPDIS S/CT FOR ZACK ROTHSCHILD, EUR/SE FOR DANIELLE GARBE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2017 TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KTFN TU IZ EUN IT SUBJECT: PKK TERRORISM: ITALIAN RESPONSE TO UPDATED DEMARCHES REF: A. STATE 134271 ¶B. STATE 148531 ¶C. ROME 2084 ¶D. HALL-ROTHSCHILD EMAILS 10/27-31/07 Classified By: Acting Political Minister-Counselor Stephen Anderson for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (S) Poloff followed up on Ref A and B demarches with Italian MFA Counterterrorism Officer Stefania Fancello on December 21, stressing that U.S. concern over PKK activities in Europe has grown since our first demarche on the Riza Altun case (Ref C) given increased tensionspQsdoD5EL5Q( Europe that we had provided (Ref B, D) with her CT counterparts at the Ministries of Justice, Interior and Finance, and said that she would keep us informed as to any additional measures taken by the Italian government. (Note: Separately, Econoff passed the same information to Ministry of Finance Prevention of Financial Crimes Officer Maria Paola Suppa on November 8 and has on subsequent occasions raised PKK financing issues with various GOI interlocutors. To date no substantive response has been received. End note.) ¶2. (S) With regard to the additional action request in Ref B, concerning the effect that releasable intelligence has had on host government actions and investigations into PKK activities, Post's assessment is that Italian authorities have the tools and information necessary to conduct investigations into PKK activities, and that they could make use of more specific, actionable information if it were made available. To date, we have not passed the GOI much releasable intelligence and believe providing additional information could strengthen the GOI's stance against the PKK. The Kurdish presence in Italy is not as large as in Northern Europe, but the community is active, and some left-leaning politicians have been ideologically supportive of the Kurdish separatist movement. Italian law enforcement authorities may factor this in when deciding whether to intensify existing investigations. Specific and actionable law enforcement information and intelligence could help overcome any potential resistence. BORG