TURKISH NON-PAPER ON PKK CAMPS

S E C R E T STATE 112651 E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PREL PTER SY LE TU SUBJECT: TURKISH NON-PAPER ON PKK CAMPS ¶1. SECRET - ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. THE TURKISH EMBASSY HAS PASSED ON TO US THE FOLLOWING "NON-PAPER" RELATED TO SYRIAN SUPPORT FOR THE PKK. IT IS PROVIDED ON AN FYI BASIS ONLY. BEGIN TEXT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM UNCONFIRMED INTELLIGENCE REPORTS: -- PKK AND SYRIAN OFFICIALS MET IN LEBANON SEVERAL TIMES IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH. -- THE PKK ASKED SYRIAN OFFICIALS TO TRANSFER SYRIANS OF KURDISH ORIGIN TO PKK CAMPS IN EASTERN LEBANON AND URGED THEIR COOPERATION IN VIEW OF A POSSIBLE TURKISH ATTACK. THE SYRIANS REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD CONVEY THE REQUEST TO THEIR AUTHORITIES. -- SEVEN SYRIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS CONDUCTED STUDIES OF THE TERRORIST CAMPS IN SUDAN ATTHE END OF FEBRUARY. -- AFTER THIS, THE PKK'S HEAVY ARTILLERY AND AMMUNITION STORED AT THE MAHSUM KORKMAZ ACADEMY WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE SYRIAN DIVISION IN BEIRUT/ANJAR. -- SYRIA AND THE PKK ARE TAKING CERTAIN PRECAUTIONS LATELY BECAUSE OF THE UPCOMING VISIT TO SYRIA OF THE TURKISH MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR, AND STATEMENTS BY THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT THAT SYRIA SUPPORTS PKK TERRORISM. -- THE PKK OPENED TWO NEW CAMPS IN THE BEKAA VALLEY EAST OF ANJAR AT THE END OF JANUARY. -- SINCE THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, SOME PKK MEMBERS HAVE BEEN CAMPING 30KM FROM MAHSUM KORKMAZ ACADEMY NEAR KISVE. -- A NEW CAMP WAS OPENED IN MARCH ON THE AL-NAHR PLATEAU NEAR THE TOWN OF RASHAYA, WHICH IS UNDER SYRIAN CONTROL. -- AFTER CONCLUDING THEIR TRAINING AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH, 300 PKK MEMBERS LEFT CAMP. ANOTHER GROUP ENTERED ON MARCH 14. -- MAHSUM KORKMAZ ACADEMY IS THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE PKK AND HAS SPECIAL IMPORTANCE DUE TO ITS PRESTIGE. IT IS THOUGHT THAT OTHER CAMPS WILL BE MOVED DEEPER INTO LEBANON. END TEXT. BAKER