PKK PLANS AND AMERIN CASE

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 208025 E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR TAGS: PTER TU SUBJECT: PKK PLANS AND AMERIN CASE REF: A) ANKARA 7938 B) ANKARA 8068 ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT ¶2. REF A SUMMARIZED PRESS REPORTING THAT CODED DOCUMENTS SEIZED FROM TWO CAPTURED TERRORISTS REVEALED PKK (KURDISH LABOR PARTY) PLANS TO ATTACK, INTER ALIA, THE TURKISH/AMERICAN COMMON DEFENSE BASE IN PIRINCLIK. AS EMBASSY WILL REALIZE, PKK TARGETING OF A JOINT TURKISH/U.S. MILITARY FACILITY WOULD REPRESENT A NEW AND GRAVE MOVE BY THE PKK. (COMMENT: DEPARTMENT ASSUMES THAT THE PKK WOULD BE WELL AWARE OF THE BASE'S U.S. CONNECTION. END COMMENT) IT WOULD ALSO RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER NEIGHBORING GOVERNMENTS WERE AWARE OF AND EITHER TOLERATED OR SUPPORTED SUCH AN ATTACK. ¶3. DEPARTMENT IS AWARE OF THE NEED TO TREAT TURKISH PRESS REPORTS WITH GREAT CAUTION. NONETHELESS, GIVEN THE POTENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF THIS MATTER, DEPARTMENT REQUESTS THAT U.S. MISSION ATTEMPT TO VERIFY WHETHER OR NOT THERE IS DOCUMENTARY OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF SUCH A SHIFT IN PKK TARGETING. ¶4. REF B REPORTED PRESS ACCOUNTS THAT THE TURKISH MILITARY COURT HAD DROPPED SPYING CHARGES AGAINST JORDANIAN EMBASSY EMPLOYEE AMERIN FOR LACK OF EVIDENCE. DEPARTMENT WOULD APPRECIATE RECEIVING FURTHER DETAILS ASAP. SHULTZ