This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001644
SIPDIS
ANKARA PASS IZMIR
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER ASEC TU
SUBJECT: Adana Governor, Jandarma and Air Force leadership
urge U.S. action versus KHK
THIS CABLE IS FROM CONSULATE ADANA.
1. (SBU) Summary: On the margins of the 39th Air Base
Wing March 12 change of command, Adana governor Kemal
Onal, as well as area Jandarma and Air Force generals,
approached PO to urge the U.S. to take near-term action
against KHK/Kongra Gel in northern Iraq. Adana
Jandarma Major General Abdulkadir Eryilmaz said that
the March 8 Batman province explosion had been caused
by a mine placed under an asphalt road with an
excavated underground channel leading to a remote site
for a detonator a short distance from the mine
explosion area. Adana Governor Onal also observed that
the community situated immediately behind the new
consulate building is a pro-Kurdish Democratic People's
Party (DEHAP) stronghold and offered that our existing
rear wall was inadequate for perimeter security. End
summary.
It is time to go after KHK/Kongra Gel in Iraq
---------------------------------------------
2. (SBU) On the margins of the 39th Air Base Wing March
12 change of command, Adana governor and former Turkish
National Police Director Onal, as well as Adana
Jandarma Major General Abdulkadir Eryilmaz and Air
Force Brigadier General Levent Turkmen approached PO to
urge the U.S. to take near-term action against
KHK/Kongra Gel in northern Iraq. Onal, after
discussing his learning of the March 8 Batman possible
landmine attack on a Jandarma unit, asked when the U.S.
planned to "tackle the terrorist elements in northern
Iraq and end the threat to the southeast Turkey
region?" When PO observed that the U.S. long had
deemed the PKK - and now KHK - a terrorist
organization, that the President had committed the U.S.
to ridding Iraq of all terrorist groups and that CPA
Ambassador Bremer had stated clearly that KHK is a
terrorist element in Iraq that would be treated as
such, Onal acknowledged the U.S. position, but noted
that more was now necessary. Turkmen urged the U.S. to
give U.S. troops in northern Iraq clear rules of
engagement to specify the need to attack the KHK and to
conduct offensive operations against KHK soonest.
Major General Eryilmaz recalled the landmine attack,
said it reminded him of PKK attacks "from the old
days," and noted that the "weather is getting nice here
now," suggesting that seasonal weather was bringing
favorable conditions for offensive military campaigning
in the region.
3.(SBU) PO stressed that a multi-disciplinary
counterterrorism effort in consultation with Turkey was
necessary to deal with all aspects of the KHK
challenge, noting that the U.S. had been in a dialogue
with Ankara authorities about the issue for some time.
Onal acknowledged this ongoing discussion, noted Turkey
had passed the reform package law, but added that the
time for U.S. action had come. Turkmen said that the
"reintegration law had failed to attract (KHK) cadres
from the hills." Onal continued, however, by noting
that "a general amnesty is not an option; it will not
happen." PO urged consideration of a wide range of
complementary tools to accomplish our common
counterterrorist agenda, with Onal and Turkmen
generally agreeing and Jandarma Major General Eryilmaz
generally quiet.
Batman attack was a landmine, Jandarma says
-------------------------------------------
4.(SBU) Jandarma Major General Eryilmaz said that the
March 8 Batman province explosion had been caused by a
mine placed under an asphalt road with an excavated
underground channel leading to a remote site for a
detonator a short distance from the mine explosion
area. He said that he had spoken with the Jandarma
commander in the area at an unspecified time soon after
the attack and had heard the specifics directly from
him. PO conveyed U.S. condolences to the Jandarma for
their loss. Major General Eryilmaz said that the
attack bore the hallmark of PKK attacks "from the old
days" and noted that Jandarma in the deep southeast
(Mardin, Sirnak, Batman, Siirt, and Hakkari) were
anxious about the possibility of significant KHK
attacks in the coming spring season.
New consulate in bad neighborhood
---------------------------------
5.(SBU) Adana governor - and former Turkish National
Police Director - also observed that the community
situated immediately behind the new consulate building
is a pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP)
stronghold and offered that our existing rear wall was
inadequate for perimeter security. He suggested that
the U.S. should strengthen the rear perimeter wall and
add more lighting and maybe a different gate. "My
special operations police (posted in the rear of the
new consulate compound) are good, but they do not need
a weak defensive wall to make a possible rear attack on
your compound attractive," he noted. While noting that
the new front and corner wall are higher and have good
anti-vehicle features, he said that he wished it had an
outward canting screen to prevent hand grenades from
being lobbed into the consulate compound. Both
Governor Onal and Brigadier General Turkmen said the
entire compound could use more perimeter lighting as
well. Governor Onal said that he would be glad when
consulate construction is complete in late spring.
6. (SBU) Comment: We value the governor's insight into
the political affiliation of the neighborhood behind
the new consulate site. However, we tend to discount
the comments about the perimeter security since
government figures have not been apprised of our
continuing security construction program. End comment.
EDELMAN