94MOSCOW32590, PKK PRESENCE IN RUSSIA

WikiLeaks Link

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol).Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #94MOSCOW32590.

Reference ID	Created	Released	Classification	Origin
94MOSCOW32590	1994-11-14 13:57	2011-08-30 01:44	SECRET	Embassy Moscow

P 141357Z NOV 94
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5243
INFO AMEMBASSY BAKU PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY YEREVAN PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY

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. 
 
PICKERING

Wikileaks