Cablegate: The Kurdish Pkk in Austria

R 011750Z JUL 93
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6942
INFO AMEMBASSY ANKARA
AMEMBASSY BONN

UNCLAS VIENNA 006520

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

USVIENNA FOR USDEL CSCE AND UNVIE

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER TU AU
SUBJECT: THE KURDISH PKK IN AUSTRIA

1. SUMMARY: FOR SEVERAL YEARS MEMBERS OF THE KURDISH
COMMUNITY IN VIENNA HAVE REGULARLY HELD EVENTS TO
HIGHLIGHT THEIR CAUSE TO THE MEDIA. RADICAL GROUPS SUCH
AS THE PKK, THE TURKISH COMMUNIST PARTY AND THE
REVOLUTIONARY LEFT OPERATE CLUBS IN VIENNA. INTERIOR
MINISTRY SOURCES SAY AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES CONTINUE TO
MONITOR ACTIVISTS OF KURDISH LEFT-WING GROUPS CLOSELY, BUT
NO BAN OF THE PKK IS PLANNED. OF THE TURKISH COMMUNITY
(119,000) IN AUSTRIA, THE MAJORITY ARE BELIEVED TO BE
KURDS. AN OFFICIAL OF THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY IN ANKARA SAID
HE EXPECTED MORE BOMB ATTACKS AGAINST TOURIST CENTERS IN
TURKEY "ANY TIME SOON." END SUMMARY.

2. OVER SEVERAL YEARS, KURDISH ACTIVISTS IN VIENNA
ALTERNATELY SELECTED HIGH VISIBILITY LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE AUSTRIAN SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT
PARTY (SPO), THE VIENNA OFFICES OF LUFTHANSA AND TURKISH
AIRLINES, THE OFFICE OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, THE
HEADQUARTERS OF THE NATIONAL TV NETWORK ORF, AND THE
INTERNATIONAL PRESS CENTER AT THE UN IN VIENNA TO STAGE
PROTESTS. IN MARCH 1988 KURDISH PROTESTERS TRIED TO STORM
THE IRAQI EMBASSY IN VIENNA. SIXTY-FOUR DEMONSTRATORS
WERE BRIEFLY ARRESTED. IN AUGUST AND OCTOBER OF 1991
KURDISH ACTIVISTS OCCUPIED VIENNA'S ST. STEPHEN'S
CATHEDRAL -- THE CITY'S MAJOR LANDMARK -- TO PROTEST
"SUPPRESSION OF KURDS IN TURKEY AND IRAQ." THE
DEMONSTRATION ENDED PEACEFULLY.

3. AN INTERIOR MINISTRY SOURCE TOLD THE EMBASSY JUNE 29
THAT SEVERAL REGISTERED TURKISH CLUBS EXISTED IN AUSTRIA
-- MOST OF THEM IN VIENNA. A MAJORITY ARE BELIEVED TO BE
PKK SYMPATHIZERS. OTHER KURDISH ORGANIZATIONS ARE
DOMINATED BY ACTIVISTS SUBSCRIBING TO THE TURKISH
COMMUNIST PARTY (TKP) OR THE DEVRIMCI SOL (REVOLUTIONARY
LEFT). THEY TOO, RUN CLUBS IN VIENNA, ALL OF WHICH ARE
REGISTERED WITH THE INTERIOR MINISTRY.

4. ACCORDING TO THE MINISTRY SOURCE, AUSTRIAN AUTHORITIES
WATCH ACTIVITIES BY ALL THESE EXTREME LEFT GROUPS
CLOSELY. AUSTRIA'S LAW ON ASSOCIATION -- WHICH REQUIRES A
GROUP TO REPORT TO THE INTERIOR MINISTRY ANY EVENT,
GATHERING OR ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY -- PROVIDES A GOOD
LEGAL BASE FOR MONITORING THESE GROUPS. SINCE THE PKK IS
NOT REGISTERED AS A POLITICAL GROUP IN AUSTRIA, ANY DEBATE
ABOUT BANNING THE PKK AS A POLITICAL MOVEMENT IS NOT
POSSIBLE.

5. THE PKK HAS REGULARLY PARTICIPATED AT THE ANNUAL MAY 1
PARADE IN DOWNTOWN VIENNA. UNTIL A YEAR AGO, PKK
SYMPATHIZERS WOULD CARRY PICTURES SHOWING STALIN. THIS
YEAR THESE PICTURES WERE REPLACED BY PHOTOS OF ABIMAEL
GUZMAN, HEAD OF PERU'S SHINING PATH GUERRILLA ORGANIZATION.

6. AN OFFICIAL AT THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY IN ANKARA, BRUNO
BILEK, IS QUOTED IN THE VIENNA DAILY "KURIER" SAYING THE
SITUATION IN TURKEY AFTER THE RECENT BOMB ATTACK ON A
TOURIST HOTEL WAS "VERY GRAVE." THE EMBASSY WAS AWARE OF
TERRORIST THREATS AGAINST TOURISTS IN VACATION AREAS ON
THE AEGEAN SEA AS WELL AS IN CAPPADOCIA. HE IS QUOTED AS
SAYING HE EXPECTS ANOTHER TERRORIST ATTACK "ANY TIME
SOON." SINCE TURKEY IS A POPULAR VACATION DESTINATION FOR
AUSTRIANS, AND SINCE JULY AND AUGUST ARE MAJOR VACATION
PERIODS IN AUSTRIA, THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A TERRORIST
THREAT TO TOURISTS IN TURKEY BY A GOA OFFICIAL IS
SIGNIFICANT, EVEN IF THE GOA IS NOT ISSUING A TRAVEL
ADVISORY. THE GOA MAINTAINS A HIGH LEVEL OF VISIBLE
SECURITY PRESENCE AT THE TURKISH EMBASSY IN VIENNA.

SWIHART

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