VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #2417/01 1221418
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 021418Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5238
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 4102
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0308
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 5242
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3001
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 5227
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 0423
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

S E C R E T ANKARA 002417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
S/CT ALSO FOR FRANK URBANCIC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/02/2011 
TAGS: PTER EFIN KTFN BE TU
SUBJECT: INTENSIFYING COOPERATION WITH BELGIUM AGAINST PKK 
 
REF: A. TD-314/25971-06 
 
     ¶B. STATE 013857 
     ¶C. 05 ANKARA 7497 
     ¶D. 05 STATE 186669 
     ¶E. BERLIN 889 
     ¶F. PARIS 1983 
 
Classified By: DCM Nancy McEldowney. Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
This is an action request.  See paras 4-6. 
 
¶1.  (S/NF) Summary:  We should move now to extend the effort 
to disrupt criminal networks in Europe that support PKK 
terrorist activity beyond France and Germany to other 
European countries that host significant PKK support 
networks.  Belgium is a prime candidate.  The recent arrest 
in Switzerland of Remzi Kartal, a senior PKK figure, and his 
immediate release based on his Belgian travel documents as 
well as the egregious mishandling of the arrest and escape of 
the Turkish terrorist who assassinated a Turkish businessman 
in 1996 and found refuge in Belgium highlights Belgium as a 
logical next target for a cooperative approach.  S/CT 
Crumpton's planned visit to Brussels at the end of May would 
be an excellent vehicle to garner high-level Belgian 
attention to an effort focused on developing leads that would 
lead to the arrest and extradition of a senior PKK operative. 
 End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
TIMING RIGHT TO RATCHET UP ANTI-PKK EFFORT WITH BELGIUM 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2.  (S/NF)  Given the positive response by the French and 
German governments to our initial contacts about cooperative 
action against PKK criminal activities (refs e and f), the 
time now is right to extend this approach to other European 
countries that host PKK activity.  The significant level of 
PKK activity in Belgium suggests that the Belgian government 
should be the next European government we seek to work with. 
As in the case of France and Germany, an approach that 
highlights the organized crime-style activities of PKK 
supporters and front groups rather than their political 
activities is most likely to be effective. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Turkish officials are deeply frustrated with Belgium 
over its repeated ailures to take tangible action against 
Turkih terrorists based in Belgium.  The recent arrest of 
the prominent Belgium-based PKK figure Remzi Kartal in 
Switzerland and his subsequent release based on his refugee 
status in Belgium provides ammunition for the argument that 
PKK leaders are abusing their status in Belgium to travel 
freely in Europe in support of terrorist activities. 
Embarrassment over the mishandling of the arrest of the 
leftist Turkish terrorist Fehriye Erdal deeply strained 
relations with Turkey and might also make the Belgian 
government more willing to fight harder against Turkish-based 
terrorism.  The Turkish MFA believes that last year's 
demarches to Belgian officials in Brussels and in Washington 
(refs c and d) had an impact in changing Brussels' attitude 
to working with Turkey on terrorism issues. 
 
¶4.  (S/NF)  As with France and Germany, an initial approach 
should initiate a sustained, cooperative effort to work with 
Belgian authorities and the Turkish embassy and law 
enforcement and intelligence agencies to develop information 
that will lead to the arrest, detention, and ideally 
extradition of key PKK leaders in Belgium.  The process 
should be initiated after coordination with the Turkish 
government in Ankara.  We request the Department instruct to 
us to allow post to begin consulting the GOT.  Embassy 
Brussels and the Turkish embassy could then determine the 
most effective strategy for approaching the Belgian foreign 
ministry, law enforcement, judicial and intelligence agencies. 
 
--------------------------------- 
NEEDED: A SINGLE CONCRETE EXAMPLE 
--------------------------------- 
¶5.  (S/NF)  As in the case of France and Germany, having a 
concrete case to work on together should be an effective way 
to proceed.  In addition to Kartal, there are several other 
leading PKK operatives active in Belgium, including Zubeyir 
Aydar, Ahmet Bayik, or Muzaffer Kaya.  Turkish authorities 
tell us these and other PKK officials openly travel to and 
from Belgium and work out of the Kurdistan National Congress' 
building in Brussels.  Belgium is also a significant locus of 
funds collection for PKK and we understand Roj TV programming 
is produced there.  We recommend that Washington agencies 
determine which one of these individuals would be most 
suitable as the subject for an initial approach. 
 
---------------------------- 
S/CT VISIT IS AN OPPORTUNITY 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (S/NF)  S/CT Crumpton's planned May 31-June 1 visit to 
Brussels could be an ideal opportunity to broach the proposal 
to Belgian authorities at very senior levels and give impetus 
to the longer-term, US-Turkish-Belgian effort described 
above.  In addition to citing the specific cases noted above, 
Crumpton could also note the fact that the PKK is second only 
to Al-Qaida as a terrorist threat to Europe, according to 
European governments' own reports. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON