Cablegate: Finland: Combating Pkk Terrorism in Europe

VZCZCXRO2773
RR RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHHE #0801 3030941
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 300941Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3870
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0127
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0042
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 4828
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4732

S E C R E T HELSINKI 000801

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EUR/SE/DANIELLE GARBE AND S/CT/ZACK ROTHSCHILD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV KTFN EUN TU IZ FI
SUBJECT: FINLAND: COMBATING PKK TERRORISM IN EUROPE

REF: STATE 148531

Classified By: POLCHIEF GREG THOME FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

1. (C) PolChief delivered subject demarche to Finnish MFA
Counterterrorism Coordinator Pekka Oinonen Oct. 29. Oinonen
welcomed our views as a follow-up to recent PKK-related
demarches and said that Finland )- as a longtime friend of
Turkey )- was following developments with great concern. He
welcomed US efforts to work with the Turkish and Iraqi
governments to urge restraint and non-military efforts to
defuse the PKK threat.

2. (S) Oinonen noted that there are approximately 3500 Kurds
in Finland, roughly half from Iran and half from Iraq. There
are very few Turkish Kurds in Finland, and little evidence to
suggest that the PKK is engaged in extensive fundraising
here. However, Oinonen said that there have been some press
and other reports from Ankara accusing a London-based NGO,
the Kurdistan Human Rights Organization, of seeking to raise
funds in the Nordic region. The GOF has not found proof of
this type of activity here but is watching.
WARE

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