PKK PRESENCE IN RUSSIA

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 032590


DEPT FOR S/CT AND EUR/ISCA

E.O. 12356: OADR
TAGS: PREL PTER RU TU
SUBJECT: PKK PRESENCE IN RUSSIA

REF: (A) STATE 297976 (NOTAL),(B) STATE 304419 (NOTAL)


1. (S) SUMMARY: ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS AND
THE TURKISH EMBASSY, THE CONFEDERATION OF KURDISH
ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS, WHICH MET IN MOSCOW
OCTOBER 29-31, HAS CLOSE LINKS TO THE PKK. AS
FAR AS WE CAN GAUGE, THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
TOLERATES THE ORGANIZATION BUT DOES NOT SUPPORT
IT. WE DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT ON THE QUESTION
OF A FORMAL DEMARCHE. IN ANY CASE, EMBASSY WILL
SEEK AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAY DOWN A MARKER
INFORMALLY WITH THE MFA, CITING USG CONCERNS
ABOUT THE PKK. END SUMMARY.

PRESS REPORTING ON THE KURD CONFERENCE
--------------

2. (U) ACCORDING TO RUSSIAN PRESS REPORTS, A
CONGRESS FOR THE CONFEDERATION OF KURDISH
ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS WAS HELD IN MOSCOW
OCTOBER 29-31. CLOSE TO EIGHTY DELEGATES
PARTICIPATED. A PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE
CONGRESS STATES THAT "THE FALL OF THE IRON
CURTAIN, AND THE CIS KURDS HAVING COME TO KNOW
ABOUT THE NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE OF THE
PEOPLE OF KURDISTAN, AND THEIR JOINING THIS
STRUGGLE, HAS OPENED UP NEW PROSPECTS FOR THE
'SOVIET' KURDS."


3. (U) REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FRONT FOR THE
NATIONAL LIBERATION OF KURDISTAN (FNLK) ALSO
ATTENDED THE CONGRESS. ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN
PRESS, THE FNLK IS LINKED TO THE PKK. ONE FNLK
DELEGATE IS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT: "WE HOPE THAT
THE CONFERENCE OF KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS OF THE
CIS WILL GIVE MORAL SUPPORT TO OUR LIBERATION
STRUGGLE AGAINST THE TURKISH AUTHORITIES."
SHARAF ASHIRI (PHONETIC),DESCRIBED BY THE PRESS
AS A LEADER OF THE CONFEDERATION OF KURDISH
ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS, STATED AT A PRESS
CONFERENCE THAT "THE GOAL OF OUR ORGANIZATION IS
NOT ONLY TO PRESERVE THE UNIQUENESS OF CIS KURDS,
BUT ALSO TO GIVE ASSISTANCE TO OUR FELLOW KURDS
WHO ARE WAGING A STRUGGLE AGAINST THE TURKISH
REGIME."


4. (U) THE PRESS SPECULATES THAT THE RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENT MAY TOLERATE THE CREATION OF THE
CONFEDERATION OF KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS
AS A MEANS TO PRESSURE TURKEY. THE FEW KURDS IN
AZERBAIJAN MAY ALSO BE A PRESSURE POINT MOSCOW
MIGHT WISH TO DRAW ATTENTION TO AT THIS TIME.
THE RUSSIAN DAILY NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA NOTES IN
THIS REGARD THAT RUSSIAN MFA SPOKESMAN GRIGORIY
KARASIN "EVADED AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ON
WHETHER MOSCOW REGARDS THE KURDISH WORKERS PARTY
AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION, STATING ONLY THAT
RUSSIA'S LEADERSHIP HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
FACT OF CREATING IN MOSCOW THE CONFEDERATION OF
KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS."

TURKISH EMBASSY VIEWS
--------------

5. (S) THE TURKISH EMBASSY HERE TOLD US THAT THE
PKK LINK TO THE CONGRESS OF THE CONFEDERATION OF
KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS OF THE CIS WAS STRONG.
SOME DELEGATES WERE CLOSELY IDENTIFIED WITH THE
PKK AND A PKK FLAG WAS PRESENT AT THE CONGRESS
PODIUM. THE TURKS RAISED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT
THE CONGRESS WITH THE RUSSIAN MFA, STRESSING THE
TERRORIST NATURE OF THE PKK. THE TURKISH EMBASSY
SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT THE GOR SUPPORTED THE PKK OR
THE CONGRESS IN ANY WAY AND FRAMED THEIR
PRESENTATION IN TERMS OF A BRIEFING ABOUT THE
BACKGROUND OF THE PKK. THE RUSSIAN MFA RESPONDED
THAT THE GOR RECOGNIZED THE PKK AS A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION AND HAD FULL RESPECT FOR THE
TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF TURKEY. (COMMENT: WE
NOTE REF B REPORT FROM A RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT
INDICATING THAT THE GOR HAS NOT BANNED THE
ACTIVITY OF THE PKK OR PKK FRONTS. END COMMENT.)

COMMENT
--------------

6. (S) WE DEFER TO THE DEPARTMENT IN THE
QUESTION OF A FORMAL DEMARCHE ON THE SUBJECT OF
THE PKK OR KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS FRIENDLY TOWARD
THE PKK IN RUSSIA. PER INSTRUCTIONS REF A, POST
HAS NOT YET RAISED THIS ISSUE WITH MFA OFFICIALS.
IN ANY CASE, WE WILL SEEK AN OPPORTUNITY TO LAY
DOWN A MARKER INFORMALLY WITH THE MFA,
UNDERSCORING USG CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF
THE PKK.

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