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UNCLAS ANKARA 000486 
 
SIPDIS 
CORRECTED COPY -SIGNATURE ADDED 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV TU IZ
SUBJECT: PKK Issue: Update on Violence and Political Developments 
(February 16-28, 2007) 
 
REF: ANKARA 00339 AND PREVIOUS 
 
(U) Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) This is another in a series of periodic reports on PKK 
violence in Turkey.  Our primary sources for these reports are 
mainstream Turkish press services, such as the Anatolian News 
Agency, and international wire services.  While these are more 
reliable than most Turkish press sources, they are not necessarily 
unimpeachable.  Another source is the Turkish Armed Forces General 
Staff (TGS) website which documents contacts/clashes with the PKK. 
Press services sympathetic to the PKK, such as Neu-Isenburg People's 
Defense Forces and Firat News Agency, tend to report higher numbers 
of the Turkish Security Forces casualties and are often otherwise 
unreliable. 
 
¶2. (U) During the February 16-28, 2007 period one child died when a 
PKK bomb exploded near a Jandarma station in Siirt province.  There 
were clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists in the 
mountainous Bitlis province; no casualties were reported.  Security 
forces arrested two PKK terrorists in Sirnak and Van provinces. 
Security forces seized booby-trapped lan@S: 
- Feb. 18 dailieskanit, who was visiting Barzani and Talabani 
the PKK.  Buyukanit sai@ had nothing to discus 
Qties that view PKK as a political entity. "But I will not 
meddle if somebody wants to hold political contacts," he added. 
- Feb. 18 dailies quoted FM Gul as responding to the Buyukanit by 
saying that the politicians should carry out dialogue before the 
military speaks with weapons. 
- FM Gul told the press Feb. 23 that "Talabani and Barzani have 
already held contacts in Turkey. Our meetings with them will not 
amount to recognition of a separate independent region. We can talk 
to them to show them their mistakes."   Gul warned that "the 
division of Iraq will pave the way for unending wars." 
 
- GOT Special Envoy GEN Baser told a television reporter Feb. 23 
that pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) Diyarbakir 
Provincial Chief Aydogdu -- who had said that a Turkish attack on 
Kirkuk would be regarded as an attack on Diyarbakir -- was a 
"creature."  Baser said that nobody would be able to turn Turkey 
into another Yugoslavia by giving prominence to ethnicity.  Baser 
stressed that what "that creature," meaning Aydogdu, was seeking 
such a thing. 
 
- FM Gul was quoted in Feb. 25 dailies as emphasizing that 
protecting the unity of Iraq was Turkey's first priority; northern 
Iraq issues come second.  Gul added that leaders and arms of many 
terrorist organizations were in northern Iraq.  When asked about 
President Sezer not receiving Talabani, Gul said, "That is the 
President's choice.  Like it or not he (Talabani) is the President 
of that country." 
 
- Feb. 28 dailies quoted FM Gul as giving a harsh response to the 
words of KRG President Barzani that Turkey should prepare itself for 
the independence of Kurdistan.   En route to Turkey after his 
contacts in Kabul, Gul noted that people have always suffered as a 
result of irrational moves of their leaders. He stressed that the 
Kurds should be realistic in their aspirations, and drew attention 
to the example of Saddam Hussein. 
 
-- KURDISH: 
 
- The Feb. 19 "Hurriyet" quoted DTP Chairman Ahmet Turk as saying 
that Turkey's hostile approach toward the Iraqi Kurds would also 
harm Turkey.  Turk said that Turkey should regard the Iraq Kurds as 
its brothers as it regarded people in Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and 
Turkmenistan. 
 
- DTP Diyarbakir Provincial Chairman Ibrahim Aydogdu told the press 
 
Feb. 21 the party would invite Talabani and Barzani to Nevruz 
celebrations on March 21.  He added that such a move would honor and 
please all Kurds in Turkey.  Aydogdu also said that he would 
consider a Turkish attack on Kirkuk as an attack on Diyarbakir. 
 
- In a Feb. 26 interview with NTV television, KRG President Barzani 
rejected reports that he was supporting PKK. "If there is evidence 
in this respect, it should be revealed publicly. We don't approve 
PKK presence in Qandil Mountains. It is not easy to control the 
border," Barzani asserted.  He pointed out that the PKK was active 
not only in northern Iraq, but also in Diyarbakir, Van and Istanbul. 
"Should we blame Turkey for this?" he asked.  He stressed that 
dialogue was the best formula for solving the PKK problem. 
- Feb. 28 wire services reported that at the DTP extraordinary 
convention the same day Chairman Ahmet Turk said that the party will 
run in November parliamentary elections with independent candidates. 
 Declaring that an environment must be created within which the 
Kurdish people will live on an equal, free, and humane basis, Turk 
said that on the day that Turkey escapes from its phobia of being 
divided, "it will solve the Kurdish issue." 
-- OTHER DEVELOPMENTS 
 
- Abdullah Ocalan managed to get out of prison through his lawyers 
pages of his draft book and the "Prison Writings: The Roots of 
Civilization" was published in Britain. 
"Hurriyet" on Feb 19 wrote that Ankara conveyed its unease over this 
development to HMG through diplomatic channels. 
 
- "Aksam" on Feb. 21 reported that TGS has prepared a detailed 
report on the contacts of KDP and PUK with PKK and the special 
protection granted by Kurdish leaders Talabani and Barzani to  and 
officials agreed tity measures to boost 
bx measures to be appliepions on March 21 also  Following are selectedcles 
 
on the topic: 
 
- Cengiz Candar in the Feb. 16 "Referans" expressed doubt whether 
Ankara could succeed by sidestepping the Iraqi Kurdish leadership as 
it tried to resolve the PKK and Kirkuk issues through the U.S.  He 
termed PM Erdogan's positive remarks about dialogue with the Iraqis 
Kurds as the "right approach."  Candar wondered whether the GOT 
would continue to pursue this policy over TGS objections. 
 
- Ilter Turkmen in February 20 "Hurriyet" found it strange that when 
they were abroad both the PM and the TGS Chief made comments on 
talking to Iraq Kurdish issue.   He stressed that on such a major 
issue the GOT should have determined the policy after talking to the 
military and once the policy was set, the military should have 
abided by the GOT decision.  Turkmen complained that not only on 
Iraq but on other major issues, too, Turkey could not be creative 
and take initiative.  He claimed that Turkey, always with domestic 
policy concerns, preferred the "zero risk" option, which, in the 
long run, kept increasing the risks. 
 
- Mehmet Ali Birand in February 20 "Posta" alleged that GEN 
Buyukanit opposed the military, and not the civilian government, to 
talk to northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders. Birand complained about a 
lack of basic policy toward Iraq.  He claimed that Turkey could 
neither differentiate between the PKK and the Kurdish issue, nor 
could adopt a common policy toward northern Iraq. 
 
- Hasan Cemal February 20 "Milliyet" wrote that GEN Buyukanit might 
think differently than the political authority on very important 
issues of Turkey but it would be more appropriate if he had 
explained them behind closed doors and at Constitutional platforms. 
 
- Murat Yetkin February 20 "Radikal" wondered whether some Turkish 
security members, without the knowledge and approval of Ankara, 
tried to create a de facto situation in Iraq and that if the 
consequence was the Suleymaniye incident (in July 2003), then the 
 
Turkish public should know about this.  He reminded that many 
scenarios were circulating in diplomatic circles about what actually 
happened in Suleymaniye.  Yetkin noted that sharing the facts with 
the public would help Turkey avoid similar situations in the 
future. 
 
- Ertugrul Ozkok in February 21 "Hurriyet" asked what had actually 
happened in Suleymaniye when the American troops put hoods on the 
heads of Turkish soldiers?  Ozkok checked and found out that the 
military careers of all Turkish officers who were involved ended, 
while the American officers were promoted.  He asked whether the 
Turkish troops, without informing the TGS, tried to carry out some 
operations and assassinate some important figures in northern Iraq? 
 
 
- Fikret Bila in February 21 "Milliyet" wrote that while the PM and 
the FM favored meeting with northern Iraqi Kurdish leaders, the 
President and the TGS Chief opposed the idea.  He wrote that 
although the GOT planned a meeting in February with Kurdish leaders 
in Istanbul, it decided to take a back step when the TGS Chief spoke 
against it in Washington.  He also quoted CHP leader Baykal as 
listing the two conditions for establishing good relations with 
northern Iraq: They should be sincere in the fight against terrorism 
and they must make the PKK ineffective.  Bila asked the GOT to 
elaborate its own position on the issue. 
 
- Can Dundar in February 22, "Milliyet" asked why the NSC existed? 
Dundar wrote that following the TGS Chief GEN Buyukanit's comment on 
not talking to Iraqi Kurdish leaders, the GOT took a back step and 
suspended a dialogue process with the Iraqi Kurds.  He added that 
from now on when the GOT took a step in the diplomatic field, it 
won't be taken sea 
tasking in the Constitution according to which the President was 
supposed to make sure that state organs operate Qhzed fashion. 
He askedt invite the sides ov@each a consensus and why such issues 
were not discussed at the NSC meetings? 
 
- Semih Idiz February 22, "Milliyet" referred to a joint statement 
by Barzani and Talabani denying reports that they were providing the 
PKK with material to make bombs.  Idiz reminded that the allegation 
did not come from an ordinary person but the highest-level Turkish 
military officer.  Thus he concluded that this proved that there 
were very serious problems not only between Turkey and Iraqi Kurds, 
but between Turkey and the U.S. as well.  Idiz wondered how one 
could claim that GEN Buyukanit's meetings in Washington were very 
successful under these circumstances. 
 
- Ibrahim Karagul in February 22, "Yeni Safak" wrote that on January 
28, U.S. Special Envoy Ralston, at his meeting with Barzani and 
Kosrat Resul allegedly indicated that they would show a green light 
to an operation against the PKK.  It was claimed that the operation 
against the Mount Kandil would begin in early April. Karagul 
wondered whether the U.S. showed a green light to Turkey in order to 
bar it from approaching Iran.  He added that during his visit to 
Ankara Iranian FM Muttaki proposed cooperation in the nuclear field. 
 He also invited Turkey to explore and process oil and natural gas. 
Karagul noted that while the U.S. tried to pull Turkey to its side 
on the Iran issue, Tehran was showing effort for Ankara to remain at 
least impartial. 
 
- Fikret Bila on February 23 "Milliyet" wrote that the basic issue 
on today's NSC meeting would be the PKK and northern Iraq.  Bila 
noted that TGS Chief GEN Buyukanit would present to the NSC the 
visual evidence of what he had said in the U.S.  The TGS reportedly 
prepared a detailed video briefing on the PKK activities in northern 
Iraq, its movements along the border and the support and assistance 
it received in northern Iraq.  The military today would present this 
to the President and the GOT at the NSC.  The video would prove that 
currently the major supporters of the PKK were the two groups in 
northern Iraq.  Buyukanit would prove how the KDP and PUK provided 
assistance to the PKK.  He would show how the PKK got arms and 
explosives.  Bila wrote that on the eve of the NSC meeting, 
 
Buyukanit and force commanders had dinner at the Sheraton yesterday 
evening. 
 
- Guneri Civaoglu on February 23 "Milliyet" quoted DTP Diyarbakir 
Provincial Chairman Ibrahim Aydogdu as saying that a Turkish 
intervention into Kerkuk would be regarded as an offensive on 
Diyarbakir.  Civaoglu claimed that this rhetoric was closerhe 
theory that one would pacify the Kurdish issue by putting Ocalan 
to jail did not produce the desired result. 
 
- Murat Yetkin on February 23 "Radikal" wrote that the anti-terror 
high council meeting yesterday was like a rehearsal of today's NSC 
meeting.  Aside from the PKK, the NSC today reportedly would take up 
the Armenian resolution, Iran and Cyprus.  He also referred to some 
notorious incidents at previous NSC meetings in February and those 
were the February 28 (process) and February 19 NSC (where Sezer 
threw the Constitution to the PM).  Yetkin reminded that the last 
NSC meeting that President Sezer would chair would be held in late 
April. 
 
- Taha Akyol in February 26, "Milliyet" referred to two rhetoric 
coming from the DTP lately.  First, was the re-introduction of the 
slogan, "There are 20 million Kurds in Turkey."  The second, was 
equating Kerkuk with Diyarbakir.  Akyol wrote that if that was the 
figure then there should be around 12 million Kurdish voters but the 
DTP got less than 2 million votes in the last elections.  Given 
these figures, he asked how could the DTP speak in the name of 
Kurdish citizens.  On Kerkuk, Akyol claimed that a Kurdish citizen 
won't think that Kerkuk belonged to Kurds just out of sentiments of 
kinship.  He reminded that the right policy would be to claim that 
Kerkuk belonged to Iraqis.  Akyol noted that equating Kerkuk with 
Diyarbakir was beyond sentiments of kinship and that it was 
indicating a separate motherland and citizenship.  He warned that if 
a few Turkish provinces were turned into a "Kurdistan" then the rest 
would be "Turkistan" and that this would bring a lot of bloodshed. 
 
- Semih Idiz in February 26, "Milliyet" stressed on the importance 
of referring in the latest NSC announcement to "intensifying 
political and diplomatic efforts" in relations with northern Iraq. 
Following this announcement when asked whether they would talk to 
northern Iraq leader, PM Erdogan said, "We would look for a solution 
at the table.  Nobody should drag us anywhere else (but the table)." 
 Idiz noted that according to some at the NSC meeting there was a 
tough debate between the GOT and the military but others denied it. 
He expressed hope that Iraqi Kurds, too, would interpret this 
announcement correctly and let possible good relations with Turkey 
go down the drain.  He stressed that Iraqi Kurds should finally 
realize the legitimate complaints of Turkey. 
 
- Yavuz Donat in February 26, "Sabah" quoted Diyarbakir's Yenisehir 
Mayor Firat Anli as commenting on the DTP conven on the CHP ticket as 
one option.  The second option was to run as part of a broad Social 
democrat bloc like Italy's olive branch model.  The third option 
was to run independently.  Anli added that since they won't run with 
the CHP and since the second model was not feasible for the time being, 
 
the local people reportedly preferred to see independent (DTP) 
candidates. 
 
- Ismet Berkan in February 26, "Radikal" wrote that there was no 
doubt that the PKK was receiving support from northern Iraq and that 
it was getting this support from the official and legitimate 
administration in that region.  He reminded that the PKK leaders 
down there recently appeared on the Barzani-controlled TV station. 
Berkan stressed that in essence, TGS Chief GEN Buyukanit was right 
and that the PKK officially was supported there.  He also reminded 
that for years Syria officially supported the PKK but then the TGS 
Chief never refused to talk to Syrians.  Berkan noted that Turkey 
should talk to northern Iraq and Baghdad, as it did in the past with 
 
Syria but admitted that the real issue was not over whether one 
talked or not talked to these leaders.  The real issue (between the 
GOT and the military) should be something else, he wrote. 
 
 
WILSON