1980s CIA reports: Syria backing PKK

CIA reports from the 1980s that were recently declassified show that Syria has been supporting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has been designated terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and United States.

According to the CIA reports, Syria provided the PKK with financial support, military training camps, arms, passports and intelligence.

The CIA documents state that the PKK, which gained an increase in foreign aid with the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, needed large-scale external support in order to survive. Syria is at the forefront of countries that have aided the PKK.

According to information obtained from the U.S. Embassy in Damascus in June 1985, the PKK was uncomfortable with the construction of the Atatürk Dam, which began in 1983.

“Syria backed the PKK in order to put pressure on Turkey's disputed issues,” the report says.

External support

On Aug. 26, 1985, the CIA prepared a 12-page report on the PKK. The report outlined the history of PKK terrorism, its ideological structure, Turkey's view on the Kurdish issue and terrorist attacks, as well as the external support.

The section titled "External Support", which lists the countries providing the PKK with support, remained censored when the report was declassified.

The report says that the PKK is active in northern Iraq and is allied with the Kurdish Hizb-i Islami party, which Iran supports.

The same report covers Ankara's concern about foreign support as well as information that Libya and Syria indirectly supported the PKK.

Relations could deteriorate at any given moment

A report dated Feb. 14, 1986, analyzes relations between Turkey and Syria, concluding that one of the most important issues was the construction of dams on the Euphrates River and water distribution.

“Even if there is minimal independently sourced information proving that Syria has links to terrorist organizations, it is clear that the Syrian government's support of these terrorist organizations is increasing. It is highly probable that Damascus hopes to use its active support for anti-Turkish groups as a trump card to make compromises on bilateral relations with Turkey,” a report titled "Concern over the North Front" said.

The report also claims that Syria was maintaining good relations with Greece and Bulgaria to spite Turkey, and that the Greek military hopes Syria will form a second front against Turkey.