STATUS OF PKK PRESENCE IN RUSSIA

S E C R E T STATE 297976


E.O. 12958: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PTER PREL RU TU
SUBJECT: STATUS OF PKK PRESENCE IN RUSSIA

REFS: A) ANKARA 13507 (BEING REPEATED TO MOSCOW); B)
ANKARA 13634 (BEING REPEATED TO MOSCOW); C) ANKARA 2965;
D) TD 315/00535-94; E) TD 315/50753-94



1. (C) SUMMARY: TURKISH PRESS REPORTS THE PKK HAS
SPONSORED ANOTHER MOSCOW CONFERENCE ON KURDISH
SEPARATISM. DEPARTMENT WOULD BE CONCERNED WERE MOSCOW
TO BECOME A CENTER OF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY FOR
PKK TERRORISM. PLEASE PROVIDE AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON
THE CONFERENCE (ESPECIALLY ANY RUSSIAN 6OVERNMENT
INVOLVEMENT OR FACILITATIONY AND ANY READILY AVAILABLE
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PKK
AND PRO-PKK FRONTS IN RUSSIA. DEPARTMENT ALSO INVITES
RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPROPRIATENESS AND TACTICS OF A
POSSIBLE DEMARCHE TO MOSCOW LAYING DOWN A MARKER ON OUR
CONCERNS. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) REF A TURKISH PRESS SUMMARY (BEIN6 REPEATED TO
MOSCOW) NOTED TURKISH PRESS REPORTS THAT ON OCTOBER 29
-KURDISH SEPARATISTS FROM TURKEY STARTED A THREE-DAY
MEETING IN MOSCOW AIMED AT UNITING AND STRENGTHENING THE
KURDISH MOVEMENT WITHIN THE COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT
STATES. THE MEETING, SPONSORED BY THE PKK (KURDISTAN
WORKERS' PARTY),IS PART OF A CAMPAIGN IN THE FORMER
EAST BLOC. THE CONFERENCE WAS CLOSED TO TURKISH
JOURNALISTS.- REF B PRESS SUMMARY QUOTED TURKISH PRESS
REPORTS THAT THE CONFERENCE ENDED OCTOBER 31 HAVING
ELECTED ONE YURI NEBIEV LEADER OF A -KURDISH UNION."
TURKEY REPORTEDLY PROTESTED THE CONFERENCE VIA
DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. (NB: TURKEY HAS NOT ASKED THE USG
FOR SUPPORT ON THIS ISSUE.)

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THE THREAT
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3. (S) DEPARTMENT UNDERSTANDS THAT PRO-PKK CONFERENCES
OF THIS NATURE HAVE BEEN HELD PREVIOUSLY, AND THAT THE
RUSSIANS HAVE IN THE PAST ASSURED TURKEY THAT MOSCOW HAS
NO INTENTION OF ESTABLISHING TIES WITH THE PKK (REF C).
EXPERIENCE WITH THE PKK AND ITS FRONTS IN WESTERN EUROPE
HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT THE ORGANIZATION CAN POSE A DANGER
EVEN WITHOUT THE FORMAL SUPPORT OF THE HOST GOVERNMENT.
DEPARTMENT WOULD BE CONCERNED WERE MOSCOW TO BECOME A
CENTER OF OPERATIONAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY FOR PKK TERRORISM
(E.G., WEAPONS PROCUREMENT, TRAINING) -- REPORTS OF SUCH
ACTIVITY HAVE SURFACED IN THE PAST (E.G. REFS D, E) --
OR WERE THE PKK TO MOBILIZE THE SERVICES OF RUSSIAN
MAFIA GROUPS.


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BACKGROUND ON THE PKK
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4. (C) THE USG CONSIDERS THE PKK TO BE A TERRORIST
ORGANIZATION, NOT/NOT A LEGITIMATE POLITICAL MOVEMENT.
OUR SUPPORT FOR TURKISH EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE PKK IS
BASED NOT ONLY ON THE THREAT IT POSES TO TURKEY, BUT IN
PART ON THE GROUP'S PAST AND PRESENT ACTIONS THREATENING
AMERICAN LIVES AND INTERESTS. SINCE THE 1984 START OF
ITS CAMPAIGN TO CARVE A KURDISH STATE OUT OF THE TURKISH
SOUTHEAST, THE PKK HAS REPEATEDLY TAKEN AMERICANS
HOSTAGE AND ATTACKED US ECONOMIC TAR6ETS. THE PKK'S
ONGOING BOMBING CAMPAIGN AIMED AT TOURIST SITES IN
TURKEY ENDANGERS AMERICAN AS WELL AS TURKISH AND
PORT FORTHE PKK WAS FREQUENTLY ALLEGED.


5. (S) THE PKK'S POLITICAL WING, ERNK, MAINTAINS A
PRESENCE IN A NUMBER OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING
SOME WHICH BAN THE PKK. AFTER THE PKK ENGAGED IN
TERRORISM IN WESTERN EUROPE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1993,
FRANCE AND GERMANY BANNED THE GROUP AND DOZENS OF ITS
FRONTS. ERNK CLAIMS ITS INTERNATIONAL OFFICES ENGAGE
ONLY IN ORGANIZATIONAL AND INFORMATION ACTIVITY.
HOWEVER, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT IN SOME COUNTRIES ERNK
OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN OPERATIONAL TERRORIST
SUPPORT ACTIVITY. DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO DISCOURAGE
GOVERNMENTS FROM DRAWING A FACILE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
"TERRORIST- PKK AND "POLITICAL" ERNK.


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ACTION REQUESTED
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6. (C) AT THIS STAGE, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO
REVIEW THE LATEST READILY-AVAILABLE INFORMATION ON
PKK-RELATED ACTIVITY IN RUSSIA, WITH AN EYE TOWARD A
POSSIBLE DEMARCHE TO MOSCOW DETAILING OUR CONCERNS ABOUT
THE PKK AND ITS FRONTS. PLEASE REPORT ON THE NATURE,
SCOPE, AND PARTICIPANTS OF THE CONFERENCE CITED IN REFS
A AND B, WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ANY RUSSIAN
GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT OR FACILITATION. (WE WOULD
APPRECIATE ANY DETAILS THE TURKISH EMBASSY IN MOSCOW MAY
HAVE.) MORE BROADLY, DEPARTMENT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN
ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO EMBASSY ON ACTIVITIES AND
INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE PKK, ERNK, OR OTHER PRO-PKK
SUPPORT OR FRONT ORGANIZATIONS IN RUSSIA.


7. (C) DEPARTMENT ALSO INVITES POST'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON
THE APPROPRIATENESS AND TACTICS OF A DEMARCHE TO MOSCOW
LAYING DOWN A MARKER ON THE PKK. AT THIS STAGE EMBASSY
SHOULD NOT/NOT APPROACH HOST GOVERNMENT FOR
INFORMATION. SLUG REPLY FOR S/CT (KOSNETT) AND ISCA.


CHRISTOPHER