Wikileaks from Politiken

A few (today: 29) Wikileaks cables published in the Danish newspaper Politiken (and not yet elsewhere). There is a lot of PKK-related material.

Abbreviations: GOT - Government of Turkey, PKK - Parti Karkerani Kurdistan (Kurdistan Workers' Party)

2005-09-08 05ANKARA5223 DAS BRYZA'S AUGUST 25-26 VISIT TO TURKEY
Bicakli said Turkey has given Iraqi authorities 137 Interpol "red notices" for PKK members. International agreements and law require the Iraqis to arrest on this basis, but they have refused.

2006-03-31 06ANKARA1723 TURKEY REQUESTS U.S. DEMARCHE TO DENMARK ON ROJTV
Guven said the GOT believes that Roj TV's broadcasts have been intentionally used by the PKK to incite the current civil unrest in Diyarbakir that has led to the loss of four lives and many serious injuries.

2006-04-06 06ANKARA1821
PKK terrorism in Turkey is on the upswing. Violent protests in the southeast and bomb attacks in Istanbul have resulted in over 15 deaths in under a week. ... We urge a prompt review of what further steps the USG could take regarding the PKK in Europe, Turkey and Iraq.

2008-03-27 08ANKARA574 TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV
Moller assured Babacan there is "no political will to protect ROJ-TV if a link between it and the PKK can be proved." ... Turkey remains skeptical about the sincerity of Danish efforts.

2008-11-25 08ANKARA2045
MFA U/S Apakan and others asked for U.S. help in `eliminating' the PKK in northern Iraq.

2009-03-13 09ANKARA374
Turkey asserts ROJ-TV is affiliated with and supports the PKK (KGK), but it has not been able to provide Danish authorities with concrete evidence

2006-03-29 06BRUSSELS1083 TURKS PROVIDE INFORMATION ON PKK ACTIVITIES IN BELGIUM
The Turkish Embassy in Brussels presented Embassy a package March 23 containing two DVD´s of recordings of various broadcasts of ROJ TV, as well as their texts translated in English.

2008-02-22 08BRUSSELS292 BELGIUM FREEZES PKK-ASSOCIATED ROJ-TV´S ASSETS
This welcome move by the Belgian government shows that, after sustained pressure from the U.S. on confronting terrorism in general, Belgian authorities are now using whatever resources and tools it has at its disposal

2009-06-05 09BRUSSELS779 BELGIUM: PKK UPDATE
Roj-TV, which has production facilities near Denderleeuw, operated in Belgium for several years; a February 2008 fine by tax authorities led to a seizure of Roj-TV assets. Belgian authorities believe the fine was heavy enough to prevent its operation for some time. In a recent parliamentary query on whether the tax investigation was an "Al Capone style" action to close an otherwise legal station, Minister of Finance Reynders replied that the investigation was ongoing and any public disclosure was embargoed.

2009-06-30 09BRUSSELS895 BELGIUM ON PKK AND CT COOPERATION
Belgian CT experts told Ambassador Schlicher the fine levied on the Roj-TV production facility in Denderleeuw did not end its operations. The PKK is skilled at raising and extorting money and maintaining cash flow, they said, and hires the best lawyers to handle cases.

2006-04-06 06COPENHAGEN454 EMBASSY REITERATES NEED TO SHUT DOWN ROJ-TV
Pol/Econ Counselor stressed the connection between destabilizing Roj-TV broadcasting and the recent wave of violence in southeastern Turkey.

2008-01-31 08COPENHAGEN38 DANISH DOCUMENTARY REVIVES CALLS FOR INQUIRY ON CIA FLIGHTS
A documentary aired January 30 on Danish state television alleges that civilian aircraft operated by the CIA have routinely transited Danish airspace in support of renditions. The film has provoked strong reaction from the Danish opposition and officials in Greenland, where the flights allegedly landed, prompting renewed calls for an independent investigation of possible CIA flights. Danish government officials have expressed their concerns about the allegations publicly, but have indicated to us privately their interest in quieting the matter as quickly as possible.

2008-02-07 08COPENHAGEN50 DANISH GOVERNMENT AVOIDS PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY ON CIA FLIGHTS
The Danish parliament voted February 7 to support a government internal review of alleged CIA flights through Danish airspace (reftel), rather than establish an independent investigation as demanded by opposition and Greenlandic officials.

2008-06-10 08COPENHAGEN332 DANISH FM MOELLER ASKS FOR HELP ON OVERFLIGHTS AND INTERROGATION ISSUES
Moeller remarked, however, that the Danish government is prepared to work with the U.S. on which questions to ask.

2008-06-11 08COPENHAGEN335 DEPUTY SECRETARY´S PARTICIPATION AT ARCTIC OCEAN CONFERENCE IN GREENLAND
Russian FM Lavrov instead chose to emphasize other themes in the afternoon session. On climate change, he discounted human activity as a driver for global warming in the Arctic, saying the issue requires further study including evidence of cyclical warming there.

2008-11-25 08COPENHAGEN617 YOUR VISIT TO COPENHAGEN
Re-elected to a third term last year, the Rasmussen government presides over a thin majority but with a commanding position against a lackluster and frustrated opposition. ... Strained relations with its 200,000-strong Muslim immigrant population were highlighted during the 2006 cartoon crisis and again earlier this year when some of those drawings were reprinted here.

2009-01-23 09COPENHAGEN50 DENMARK´S ´DON´T CALL IT A BANK BAILOUT´ BANK BAILOUT PLAN
Finance Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen announced January 18 that the government would make available 100 billion Danish kroner (a bit less than USD 18 billion) to Danish financial institutions "so that businesses and citizens do not get caught in a credit squeeze

2009-05-04 09COPENHAGEN206 NATO SYG-DESIGNATE EAGER TO BEGIN NEEDED REFORMS
Rasmussen observed that overcoming Turkish opposition to his appointment had been difficult

2009-05-26 09COPENHAGEN241 ENMARK LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN CASE AGAINST PRO-PKK ROJ-TV
Danish government officials and the chief prosecutor in the case against PKK-affiliated Roj-TV underscored their determination to address that case according to Danish law

2009-10-09 09COPENHAGEN446 ROJ-TV: DANES HOPEFUL ABOUT NEW TURKISH EVIDENCE
Denmark does not rule out that the latest evidence provided by Turkey will be of the type needed to prove Roj-TV´s ties to the terrorist PKK in a Danish court

2010-01-28 10COPENHAGEN49 NEW TURKISH AMBASSADOR ASKS FOR CONTINUED USG SUPPORT ON ROJ-TV
Ambassador Fulton ... said she understands Denmark´s position that it needs evidence to be able to evaluate whether Danish law has been violated ... Ambassador Dibek was appreciative of the US interest and asked for continued assistance. He said Turked has provided all the evidence, including DVDs of the broadcasts, and that there is no more evidence to provide.

2009-09-15 09STATE95585 ACTION REQUEST: POINTS TO RAISE WITH NATO-SYG ON SEPTEMBER 18 SPEECH ON RUSSIA
NATO decisions can only be taken by consensus. Failure to forge consensus among Allies prior to taking public positions undermines this consensus-based approach

2008-10-23 08USNATO393 RUSSIANS PROVIDE EUROPEAN SECURITY PAPER TO EU-3
This document is more remarkable for how it has been handled than for its content

2009-08-20 09USNATO359 SECGEN WRITES KARZAI ABOUT SHIA LAW CONCERNS
When we asked for a copy, the American Deputy Director of the Private Office came to the Mission to brief us on the letter´s contents. He did not, however, give us a copy, noting that he had been specifically instructed not to. Nevertheless, we learned that another Ally had been able to obtain a copy, which they shared with us (strictly protect).

2009-09-10 09USNATO383 NATO SECRETARY GENERAL READY TO REACH OUT TO CSTO?
NATO Secretary General Rasmussen ... plans to make a speech on NATO-Russia relations that would go beyond most Allies´ comfort zones.

2009-09-28 09USNATO413 RFG: RESPONDING TO NATO SECRETARY GENERAL´S PROPOSALS FOR NATO RUSSIA COOPERATION
The SecGen proposed undertaking a "joint review of NATO´s and Russia´s common threats and challenges" ... This proposal has raised concern among certain NATO members.

2009-10-29 09USNATO484
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen dropped a bombshell in a NATO-UAE Conference attended by the NAC and senior UAE officials this morning. At the end of his public address to the conference, the SYG announced a five-point plan for Middle East peace, leaving Perm Reps and Conference participants stunned. NATO has no official position on, nor a role in, the Middle East peace process

2009-11-19 09USNATO534 NATO SYG PRESSES HUNGARY AND ROMANIA FOR MORE ISAF TROOPS
The U.S. Deputy Director of the Secretary General´s Private Office Jeff Rathke (strictly protect) told us that Secretary General Rasmussen pressed Hungary and Romania on November 19 for additional troops for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

2009-12-02 09USNATO561 ACTION REQUEST: A DECISION ON NATO CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR THE BALTICS
We risk losing the ability to influence and shape this discussion if we don´t have a firm U.S. decision on moving forward with the inclusion of the Baltic states into the ongoing revision of the defense of Poland plan by the time of these meetings.

2010-01-06 10USNATO4 ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON SYG,S MOSCOW TRIP ALLEGE PUTIN SPARRED ON MISSILE DEFENSE
while Russian President Medvedev was polite, neither he nor PM Putin had expressed any real interest in cooperating with NATO. Putin allegedly told Rasmussen that NATO no longer has a purpose and it was in Russia´s interest that NATO no longer exist.

2005-09-08	05ANKARA5223	DAS BRYZA'S AUGUST 25-26 VISIT TO TURKEY Bicakli said Turkey has given Iraqi authorities 137 Interpol "red notices" for PKK members. International agreements and law require the Iraqis to arrest on this basis, but they have refused.
2006-03-31	06ANKARA1723	TURKEY REQUESTS U.S. DEMARCHE TO DENMARK ON ROJTV Guven said the GOT believes that Roj TV's broadcasts have been intentionally used by the PKK to incite the current civil unrest in Diyarbakir that has led to the loss of four lives and many serious injuries.
2006-04-06	06ANKARA1821	PKK terrorism in Turkey is on the upswing. Violent protests in the southeast and bomb attacks in Istanbul have resulted in over 15 deaths in under a week. ... We urge a prompt review of what further steps the USG could take regarding the PKK in Europe, Turkey and Iraq.
2008-03-27	08ANKARA574	TURKEY-DENMARK C/T COOPERATION AND ROJ-TV Moller assured Babacan there is "no political will to protect ROJ-TV if a link between it and the PKK can be proved." ... Turkey remains skeptical about the sincerity of Danish efforts.
2008-11-25	08ANKARA2045	MFA U/S Apakan and others asked for U.S. help in `eliminating' the PKK in northern Iraq.
2009-03-13	09ANKARA374	Turkey asserts ROJ-TV is affiliated with and supports the PKK (KGK), but it has not been able to provide Danish authorities with concrete evidence
2006-03-29	06BRUSSELS1083	TURKS PROVIDE INFORMATION ON PKK ACTIVITIES IN BELGIUM The Turkish Embassy in Brussels presented Embassy a package March 23 containing two DVD´s of recordings of various broadcasts of ROJ TV, as well as their texts translated in English.
2008-02-22	08BRUSSELS292	BELGIUM FREEZES PKK-ASSOCIATED ROJ-TV´S ASSETS This welcome move by the Belgian government shows that, after sustained pressure from the U.S. on confronting terrorism in general, Belgian authorities are now using whatever resources and tools it has at its disposal
2009-06-05	09BRUSSELS779	BELGIUM: PKK UPDATE Roj-TV, which has production facilities near Denderleeuw, operated in Belgium for several years; a February 2008 fine by tax authorities led to a seizure of Roj-TV assets. Belgian authorities believe the fine was heavy enough to prevent its operation for some time. In a recent parliamentary query on whether the tax investigation was an "Al Capone style" action to close an otherwise legal station, Minister of Finance Reynders replied that the investigation was ongoing and any public disclosure was embargoed.
2009-06-30	09BRUSSELS895	BELGIUM ON PKK AND CT COOPERATION Belgian CT experts told Ambassador Schlicher the fine levied on the Roj-TV production facility in Denderleeuw did not end its operations. The PKK is skilled at raising and extorting money and maintaining cash flow, they said, and hires the best lawyers to handle cases.
2006-04-06	06COPENHAGEN454	EMBASSY REITERATES NEED TO SHUT DOWN ROJ-TV Pol/Econ Counselor stressed the connection between destabilizing Roj-TV broadcasting and the recent wave of violence in southeastern Turkey.
2008-01-31	08COPENHAGEN38	DANISH DOCUMENTARY REVIVES CALLS FOR INQUIRY ON CIA FLIGHTS A documentary aired January 30 on Danish state television alleges that civilian aircraft operated by the CIA have routinely transited Danish airspace in support of renditions. The film has provoked strong reaction from the Danish opposition and officials in Greenland, where the flights allegedly landed, prompting renewed calls for an independent investigation of possible CIA flights. Danish government officials have expressed their concerns about the allegations publicly, but have indicated to us privately their interest in quieting the matter as quickly as possible.
2008-02-07	08COPENHAGEN50	DANISH GOVERNMENT AVOIDS PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY ON CIA FLIGHTS The Danish parliament voted February 7 to support a government internal review of alleged CIA flights through Danish airspace (reftel), rather than establish an independent investigation as demanded by opposition and Greenlandic officials.
2008-06-10	08COPENHAGEN332	DANISH FM MOELLER ASKS FOR HELP ON OVERFLIGHTS AND INTERROGATION ISSUES Moeller remarked, however, that the Danish government is prepared to work with the U.S. on which questions to ask.
2008-06-11	08COPENHAGEN335	DEPUTY SECRETARY´S PARTICIPATION AT ARCTIC OCEAN CONFERENCE IN GREENLAND Russian FM Lavrov instead chose to emphasize other themes in the afternoon session. On climate change, he discounted human activity as a driver for global warming in the Arctic, saying the issue requires further study including evidence of cyclical warming there.
2008-11-25	08COPENHAGEN617	YOUR VISIT TO COPENHAGEN Re-elected to a third term last year, the Rasmussen government presides over a thin majority but with a commanding position against a lackluster and frustrated opposition. ... Strained relations with its 200,000-strong Muslim immigrant population were highlighted during the 2006 cartoon crisis and again earlier this year when some of those drawings were reprinted here.
2009-01-23	09COPENHAGEN50	DENMARK´S ´DON´T CALL IT A BANK BAILOUT´ BANK BAILOUT PLAN Finance Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen announced January 18 that the government would make available 100 billion Danish kroner (a bit less than USD 18 billion) to Danish financial institutions "so that businesses and citizens do not get caught in a credit squeeze
2009-05-04	09COPENHAGEN206	NATO SYG-DESIGNATE EAGER TO BEGIN NEEDED REFORMS Rasmussen observed that overcoming Turkish opposition to his appointment had been difficult
2009-05-26	09COPENHAGEN241	ENMARK LOOKING TO STRENGTHEN CASE AGAINST PRO-PKK ROJ-TV Danish government officials and the chief prosecutor in the case against PKK-affiliated Roj-TV underscored their determination to address that case according to Danish law
2009-10-09	09COPENHAGEN446	ROJ-TV: DANES HOPEFUL ABOUT NEW TURKISH EVIDENCE Denmark does not rule out that the latest evidence provided by Turkey will be of the type needed to prove Roj-TV´s ties to the terrorist PKK in a Danish court
2010-01-28	10COPENHAGEN49	NEW TURKISH AMBASSADOR ASKS FOR CONTINUED USG SUPPORT ON ROJ-TV Ambassador Fulton ... said she understands Denmark´s position that it needs evidence to be able to evaluate whether Danish law has been violated ... Ambassador Dibek was appreciative of the US interest and asked for continued assistance. He said Turked has provided all the evidence, including DVDs of the broadcasts, and that there is no more evidence to provide.
2009-09-15	09STATE95585	ACTION REQUEST: POINTS TO RAISE WITH NATO-SYG ON SEPTEMBER 18 SPEECH ON RUSSIA NATO decisions can only be taken by consensus. Failure to forge consensus among Allies prior to taking public positions undermines this consensus-based approach
2008-10-23	08USNATO393	RUSSIANS PROVIDE EUROPEAN SECURITY PAPER TO EU-3 This document is more remarkable for how it has been handled than for its content
2009-08-20	09USNATO359	SECGEN WRITES KARZAI ABOUT SHIA LAW CONCERNS When we asked for a copy, the American Deputy Director of the Private Office came to the Mission to brief us on the letter´s contents. He did not, however, give us a copy, noting that he had been specifically instructed not to. Nevertheless, we learned that another Ally had been able to obtain a copy, which they shared with us (strictly protect).
2009-09-10	09USNATO383	NATO SECRETARY GENERAL READY TO REACH OUT TO CSTO? NATO Secretary General Rasmussen ... plans to make a speech on NATO-Russia relations that would go beyond most Allies´ comfort zones.
2009-09-28	09USNATO413	RFG: RESPONDING TO NATO SECRETARY GENERAL´S PROPOSALS FOR NATO RUSSIA COOPERATION The SecGen proposed undertaking a "joint review of NATO´s and Russia´s common threats and challenges" ... This proposal has raised concern among certain NATO members.
2009-10-29	09USNATO484	NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen dropped a bombshell in a NATO-UAE Conference attended by the NAC and senior UAE officials this morning. At the end of his public address to the conference, the SYG announced a five-point plan for Middle East peace, leaving Perm Reps and Conference participants stunned. NATO has no official position on, nor a role in, the Middle East peace process
2009-11-19	09USNATO534	NATO SYG PRESSES HUNGARY AND ROMANIA FOR MORE ISAF TROOPS The U.S. Deputy Director of the Secretary General´s Private Office Jeff Rathke (strictly protect) told us that Secretary General Rasmussen pressed Hungary and Romania on November 19 for additional troops for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
2009-12-02	09USNATO561	ACTION REQUEST: A DECISION ON NATO CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR THE BALTICS We risk losing the ability to influence and shape this discussion if we don´t have a firm U.S. decision on moving forward with the inclusion of the Baltic states into the ongoing revision of the defense of Poland plan by the time of these meetings.
2010-01-06	10USNATO4	ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON SYG,S MOSCOW TRIP ALLEGE PUTIN SPARRED ON MISSILE DEFENSE while Russian President Medvedev was polite, neither he nor PM Putin had expressed any real interest in cooperating with NATO. Putin allegedly told Rasmussen that NATO no longer has a purpose and it was in Russia´s interest that NATO no longer exist.