TURKEY: STOPPING TRAVEL TO ANNUAL PKK TERRORIST

S E C R E T ANKARA 000748 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/SE AND S/CT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2018 TAGS: KTFN PTER PREL IZ TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: STOPPING TRAVEL TO ANNUAL PKK TERRORIST MEETING REF: A. STATE 36799 ¶B. VIENNA 538 Classified By: PolCouns Janice G. Weiner for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Turkey is appreciative of USG efforts to raise the level of attention paid by European and regional governments to the potential for PKK members to travel to northern Iraq to participate in the group's annual conference, as instructed in ref a. MFA Department Head for the PKK Ceren Etiz told us April 14 during an initial contact on the issue and in a follow-on April 21 meeting that the GOT does not specifically reach out to European and other governments during this time frame, but rather constantly reminds its European partners of their responsibilities to interdict known terrorists as they attempt to travel. Etiz said they have a "standing talking point in every demarche they deliver," regardless of the issue, in which they press the Europeans to do more to arrest PKKers. ¶2. (S) Etiz asked whether we have any further information on individuals the Iraqi and/or Kurdish Regional Government authorities have either arrested or turned around upon arrival at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports. We noted reports we had heard regarding two turn-arounds in November and four more in December 2007 at Erbil Airport. Etiz said Iraqi authorities have never shared that information with the GOT. The Turks would appreciate any details they or we might be able to provide. We believe it would be most helpful if the GOI can share this information directly. ¶3. (S) Etiz also asked whether the USG is providing specific information to host countries about PKK members in their territories known to be traveling to northern Iraq and how we share that information. We responded that we were not aware of specific information sharing through this current demarche, but rather anticipated that information about such travelers would already be in data systems available to European and other governments based on information on suspected PKK terrorists shared by Turkey and the U.S. in the past. Etiz said the GOT has yet to be informed of any successful operations/interdictions deriving from the new cash courier regulation adopted by the EU and looks forward to receiving such information when/if actions related to the PKK occur. She noted that she had heard from USG sources about the Danes having stopped possible PKK members from boarding flights in Copenhagen in May 2007 and cash having been confiscated. She claimed, however, the Danish government had not provided specific details of the individuals to the GOT, or at least the information had not made it to her office. ¶4. (S) Etiz has notified Turkish embassies in all the countries in which we have reached out on this issue and GOT officials there may reach out to USG colleagues to discuss host country responses. Etiz noted, for example, that Turkish embassy officers in Vienna had discussed the issue and the Austrian response with U.S. diplomats there (ref b). Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Turk ey WILSON