PKK "SUPPORT" FROM ARMENIAN SOURCES

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 002697


E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PINS, PREL, PTER, AM, TU
SUBJ: PKK "SUPPORT" FROM ARMENIAN SOURCES

REFS: A) STATE 220237 B) YEREVAN 1701 C) YEREVAN 0165

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.

2. REFTEL (A) ASKED FOR A REPORT ON "POSSIBLE PKK-
ARMENIAN" LINKS AND INSTRUCTED EMBASSY YEREVAN TO
"CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CLOSELY AND TO KEEP
US INFORMED." WE RAISED THE SUBJECT WITH FOREIGN
MINISTER PAPAZYAN JULY 26 AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN
ASKED THE SAME THING BY JOURNALISTS DURING HIS RECENT
TRIP TO THE U.S. HIS ANSWER IS (AND WAS) THAT "THERE
ARE NO LINKS OF ANY KIND BETWEEN THE PKK AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA, ALTHOUGH THERE MIGHT BE SUCH
LINKS BETWEEN CERTAIN OPPOSITION GROUPS SUCH AS THE
DASHNAKS." WHEN WE ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT THE DASHNAKS HERE OR THOSE AT PARTY HEADQUARTERS
IN ATHENS, HE REPLIED "THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE."

3. THIS REPLY IS CONSISTENT WITH RESPONSES WE HAVE
GOTTEN FROM SENIOR GOA OFFICIALS FOR MORE THAN A YEAR
NOW, NOT ONLY REGARDING THE PKK BUT ALSO REGARDING ALL
SORTS OF TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS, AND PARTICULARLY THE
ASALA. REFTEL (B) WAS THIS EMBASSY'S ATTEMPT TO TRACK
DOWN THE BASIS OF RUMORS IN TURKEY ABOUT A PKK MAGAZINE
BEING PUBLISHED IN ARMENIA. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE
MAGAZINE ONLY PUBLISHED TWO ISSUES, THAT THE VAST
MAJORITY OF THE KURDS IN ARMENIA ARE NON-MUSLIM (AND
APOLITICAL) YEZIDIS, AND THAT THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF
THIS MAGAZINE - ALTHOUGH PRONE TO EXAGGERATE THE LEVEL
OF POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS AMONG ARMENIA'S SMALL
KURDISH COMMUNITY - ADMITTED THAT THERE WAS NO PKK
ACTIVITY INSIDE ARMENIA. (COMMENT: THIS MAKES SENSE;
AT A TIME WHEN THE GOA IS TRYING TO DO ALL WITHIN ITS
POWER TO ACHIEVE NORMAL RELATIONS WITH TURKEY, WHY
WOULD IT WANT TO PROVOKE TURKEY BY ALLOWING PKK
ACTIVITY WITHIN ITS BORDERS? FURTHERMORE, THE GOA IS
MAKING A MAXIMUM EFFORT TO CONFISCATE WEAPONRY OF ALL
TYPES FROM CIVILIANS AND PUT IT INTO THE HANDS OF THE
"PROPER" AUTHORITIES; WHY WOULD IT COUNTENANCE THE
TRAINING OF TERRORISTS WHO COULD ONE DAY BE TURNED
AGAINST ANY TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY?)

4. REFTEL (C) WAS AN OFFER TO DEMARCHE THE GOA ABOUT
THE ALEGED PKK PRESENCE IN A SPECIFIC REGION AS
REPORTED BY EMBASSY BAKU IN BAKU 0070. ACCORDING TO
OUR RECORDS, THE DEPARTMENT NEVER REPLIED TO THIS
MESSAGE. BUT WE HAVE BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF
TERRORISM ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH A RANGE OF SENIOR
OFFICIALS, ALL OF WHOM CONDEMN THE ASALA AND ALL OF ITS
COUSINS IN THE TERRORIST WORLD. THEIR ONE REGRET IN
THIS AREA IS THAT -- AS THEY SEE IT -- THERE IS
PRECIOUS LITTLE THEY CAN DO IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
DASHNAKS LIVING IN IRAN WANT TO FINANCE, TRAIN, OR
EQUIP TERRORIST UNITS OPERATING - ILLEGITIMATELY AND IN
DIRECT OPPOSITION TO GOA POLICY - IN THE NAME OF THE
ARMENIAN PEOPLE.


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