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DE RUEHAK #2983/01 3511253
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O 171253Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4690
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002983 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/SE AND NEA/I 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL MOPS PTER TU IZ
SUBJECT: TURKEY: REACTION TO MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST PKK 
IN NORTHERN IRAQ 
 
REF: A. ANKARA 2974 (NOTAL) 
     ¶B. ANKARA 2935 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Reaction to Turkish military air and 
artillery strikes (ref A) against PKK targets in northern 
Iraq early December 16 dominated Turkish media on December 
¶17.  President Gul, PM Erdogan, and other government 
officials praised the Turkish military's ability to carry out 
night-time raids on PKK encampments.  GOT officials called on 
PKK terrorists to abandon their mountain hideouts, surrender 
to Turkish forces, and return home.  They noted such military 
operations will continue as necessary.  Most commentators 
pointed to the strikes as the first real operation against 
PKK targets in northern Iraq authorized by Turkey's 
parliament in October.  Turkish media broadly credited the 
United States with supplying the intelligence required to 
make the operation a success, as well as with clearing Iraqi 
air space to avoid unintended conflict with friendly 
aircraft.  Off-the-cuff damage assessments varied widely, 
with some Turkish officials claiming 75-80 percent of PKK 
command was destroyed.  Media report the Iraqi government 
called in Turkish Ambassador Kanbay in Baghdad and passed a 
note verbale expressing concern about the report of one 
civilian having died in the bombardment and asked that they 
be halted.  END SUMMARY 
 
Official Reaction 
----------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) PM Erdogan congratulated the Turkish General Staff 
(TGS) Chief of Defense, the force commanders, and the air 
force pilots for the successful airstrikes.  Erdogan noted 
the GOT is determined to end the terrorist threat posed by 
the PKK through whatever means necessary, including military, 
economic, and social measures.  During a live interview 
televised the evening of December 16, Chief of Defense Gen. 
Yasar Buyukanit said he felt proud of Turkey's armed forces, 
claiming that "all targets were hit" and adding that not a 
single civilian or villager was hit.  After many years, a 
very successful operation was carried out against PKK camps 
in northern Iraq.  The PKKers may live in caves, but "we will 
find and hit them."  It no longer matters whether it is 
summer or winter; operations will continue regardless of the 
season.  Buyukanit said the PKK must watch its step from this 
point forward, claiming Turkey can watch PKK camps as though 
they are on "Big Brother."  He added that by opening Iraqi 
airspace to the Turkish operation, the U.S. had approved the 
operation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Deputy Prime Minister and GOT spokesman Cemil Cicek 
emphasized in a December 16 statement that the sole target of 
the operation was the PKK.  He appealed to PKK rank and file 
to abandon the organization, saying that they are not on the 
right path and will not succeed.  He asked that they return 
to their parents while there is still time. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Opposition politicians were reluctant to surrender 
the "weak on terrorism" card they have used against the 
ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).  Republican 
People's Party (CHP) deputy leader and MP Onur Oymen said 
that using only the air force against PKK targets was not 
sufficient to wipe out the PKK threat and called on the 
government to carry out a comprehensive operation utilizing 
ground forces.  Nationalist Action Party (MHP) deputy 
chairman Oktay Vural complained that the government had 
waited so long to carry out such an operation and pointed to 
rumors that PKK leaders had escaped the attacks.  Pro-Kurdish 
Democratic Society Party (DTP) leaders were critical of the 
operation.  DTP MP Fatma Kurtulan called on the GOT to cease 
operations in northern Iraq and focus instead on dialogue and 
solving differences through democratic means.  DTP deputy 
chairman Selahattin Demirtas and Sirri Sakik both criticized 
 
ANKARA 00002983  002 OF 003 
 
 
PM Erdogan for raising the possibility of making changes to a 
"Return to Home" (repentance or amnesty) law to attract more 
PKKers to abandon their armed struggle, then striking out at 
them through a military operation a few days later.  Sakik 
added, "Today we understood that this brotherhood project 
meant bombardment.  You cannot resolve the issue by bombing 
here and there." 
 
Media Reaction 
-------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Media outlets uniformly characterized the strikes as 
a display of Turkish determination to deal with the PKK 
threat and its presence in northern Iraq.  Many commentators 
termed the strikes as the first major operation since 
Turkey's parliament authorized the government to carry out 
such actions in late October.  Most media reported the 
operation was comprised of both air and artillery strikes 
against PKK encampments along the Turkey-Iraq border as well 
as on PKK headquarters on Kandil Mountain, about 100 
kilometers from the border.  Some outlets carried reports of 
Iranian shelling of PKK camps at Kandil concurrent to the 
Turkish strikes, speculating the attacks had been coordinated 
ahead of time with Iran. 
 
¶6. (SBU) A number of media claimed the United States 
authorized the attacks and credited the U.S. with providing 
the intelligence needed to carry out such attacks, as well as 
with clearing Iraqi airspace.  The Embassy spokesperson was 
quoted widely, noting that Turkey did not seek approval from 
the U.S. for the operation but that Turkey had notified us 
beforehand.  A State Department spokesman's December 16 
statement that Turkey has the right to defend itself against 
terrorist attacks was also widely reported.  "Radikal" 
columnist Murat Yetkin pointed out that cooperation between 
Turkey and the U.S. "is solving the PKK problem," both 
through military activity and a political approach via the 
"return-to-home" plan. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Damage estimates from the attacks varied widely, 
with some unnamed Turkish military sources claiming in media 
reports that 75-80 percent of the PKK's command and control 
operation at Kandil Mountain was destroyed.  Some speculated 
that PKK leaders Murat Karayilan and Feyman Huseyin may have 
been killed in the attacks.  A press release from PJAK 
claimed that the airstrikes led to the death of one civilian, 
with six more wounded.  PJAK also claimed that several houses 
and a school were destroyed, along with 170 livestock.  The 
PKK-affiliated Free Life of Kurdistan Party (PJAK) also 
pointed to Iranian artillery strikes around the same time 
that Turkey was carrying out its attack. 
 
PKK Threat 
---------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) In a Firat News Agency (PKK mouthpiece) report, the 
PKK threatened the United States, noting that it was very 
clear the assaults had occurred with the "approval, 
confirmation, and intelligence assistance of the USA."  The 
PKK statement calls on the U.S. to stop the attacks at once. 
Otherwise, America will attract our people's fear and 
response, and this may cause new developments. 
 
Iraq Reaction 
------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Turkish media reported Iraqi Deputy FM Mohammed 
al-Hajj Humoud summoned Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Kanbay to 
the Foreign Ministry December 16.  Humoud reportedly 
expressed concern about civilian casualties suffered during 
the airstrikes and demanded they be brought to an end before 
they "affect the friendly relations between the two 
 
ANKARA 00002983  003 OF 003 
 
 
governments and peoples." 
 
¶10. (SBU) Some media outlets quoted GOI spokesperson Dr. Ali 
Dabbagh as supporting Turkish military operations in northern 
Iraq in an interview that took place several hours before the 
attacks.  Dabbagh reportedly said that as long as the PKK 
continues to remain in northern Iraq and constitute a threat, 
there will be no way other than through a military operation 
for Turkey to respond.  Dabbagh called the PKK a terrorist 
organization and said the GOI believes PM Erdogan does not 
wish to destroy Iraq.  Dabbagh is quoted as saying, "We do 
not oppose a military operation against the PKK, but this 
should not be unilateral.  Our concern is that these 
operations might expand.  Our people should not get the 
impression that Turkey wants to occupy the Iraqi Kurdistan 
region." 
 
¶11. (SBU) COMMENT: Considering the timing of these airstrikes 
in conjunction with proposals made by PM Erdogan on December 
9 (ref B) and other GOT officials last week about making 
changes to existing repentance laws (Turkish Penal Code 
Article 221) for PKKers who surrender to Turkish forces, it 
appears the GOT is following a stick-and-carrot approach to 
solving the PKK problem and that it may indeed be 
coordinating closely with the Turkish military. 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON