New Wikileaks cables reveal diplomatic negotiations on Kurdish activits in Belgium : ROJ TV, KNK... etc...

New Wikileaks cables reveal diplomatic negotiations about Kurdish activists in Belgium. Roj Tv – KNK et al.

02 May 2006
Turkish officials are very frustrated towards Belgium because of its repeated failure to materialise significant actions against Turkish terrorists residing in Belgium.

11 May 2006
Andre Ceulemans, counter-terrorism coordinator: “Belgium is able to undertake action if the U.S. provides clearer and more specific information regarding the threat of the PKK.”

27 November 2006
Meetings, which form the first step towards a bilateral dialogue, are held.

22 March 2007
From Turkish side it is insisted upon that Urbancic from the anti-terrorism cell of the U.S. employs his travels to Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen to vitalize European cooperation against the PKK.

01 October 2007
Ceulemans says that Belgium does not solely observe the PKK as a terrorist organization, but also as a criminal organization. This way Belgium is able to sue the PKK on basis of another set of laws. The so-called ‘Al Capone approach’.
Ceulemans also complains about the quality of the information provided by the Turks.

27 November 2007
Jan Grauls, foreign affairs, emphasizes again that Turkey should provide Belgium with better, more specific information. ROJ-TV also received a fine a couple of days before Cicek’s visit, but that would later seem to have had little effect.

25 February 2008
Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek: angry that the separation of the judicial and executive powers hinder “the necessary actions”.DHKP-C: adverse ruling of the court of Antwerp.
It’s being feared that the bilateral relations are going to be slowed down for a while.

05 June 2009
Thomas Baekelandt (counter-terrorism coördinator): anger of Cicek leaves impression, still hinders diplomatic relations between Belgium and Turkey.Complaint of Belgium: some of the Turkish reports contain lists of anti-Turkish or pro-Kurdish activists who haven’t commited crimes and who aren’t linked to any terrorist organization. Thus,the information provided cannot be used in a trial.

25 February 2010
Sinirlioglu, undersecretary of the Turkish ministry of foreign affairs, said to Burns, the undersecretary of the American ministery of foreign affairs that Belgium and Denmark undertake too little to close down ROJ-TV, as opposed to what was agreed upon in exchange for the Turkish NATO vote for Rasmussen as secretary-general.

Summary
Ups and downs of cooperation with Turkey. Belgium focuses on anti-terrorism within what is allowed by law, Turkey is of opinion that Belgium acts too little and refrains of restraining anyone who partakes in anti-Turkish or pro-Kurdish activism.

New Wikileaks cables reveal diplomatic negotiations on Kurdish activits in Belgium : ROJ TV, KNK… etc…