US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5436

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005436 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR NEA, PM, EUR/SE 
NSC FOR BRYZA 
JCS FOR J5 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, PTER, IS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR DISCUSSES TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN 
IRAQ, US-TU RELATIONSHIP WITH GOT 
 
 
Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, Reason 1.5 (b,d) 
 
 
1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
 
2. (C) Summary:  Senator Lugar reaffirmed to the GOT on 
August 20 the importance of the longstanding U.S.-Turkish 
relationship.  In meetings with the Ministers of Foreign 
Affairs, Justice, and Defense, as well as the Chief of TGS, 
Lugar emphasized that the U.S. would not abandon the 
reconstruction efforts in Iraq, and hoped that the U.S. and 
Turkey could work together in this endeavor.  Although the 
U.S. would welcome Turkey's participation in the 
stabilization force, he said, this decision must be made by 
Turkey based on its own national interests.  Lugar's 
interlocutors noted that the government was currently 
deliberating whether to contribute troops, and hoped that a 
decision would be made soon.  Lugar and the DCM emphasized 
that the U.S. was committed to fighting all terrorism, 
including the PKK/Kadek's use of northern Iraq as a safe 
haven.  The Justice Minister raised the annual Armenian 
"genocide" resolution; Lugar responded that he had worked 
successfully to block this resolution, but it would help if 
Turkey and Armenia resolved their border disputes.  End 
summary. 
 
 
3. (U) Senator Lugar, accompanied by SFRC staff members and 
the DCM, called on Foreign Minister Gul, Defense Minister 
Gonul, Turkish General Staff (TGS) CHOD General Ozkok, and 
Justice Minister Cicek in a full day of meetings in Ankara on 
August 20. 
 
 
Meeting with Foreign Minister Gul 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
4. (C) Gul opened the meeting with Lugar by stating that 
Turkey could not live in peace if there was a mess in 
neighboring Iraq.  He said the GOT was proceeding cautiously 
but thoroughly in its deliberations whether to contribute 
troops to the Iraq stabilization force.  The hope was that 
the decision would be taken soon; in the meantime, 
2,000-3,000 Turkish trucks were supplying U.S. forces and 
civilians in Iraq.  Gul noted the GOT had invited the Iraqi 
team working on a draft constitution to Ankara the week of 
Aug. 25. 
 
 
5. (C) Gul said Turkey regretted the unhelpful anti-Turkish 
statements of PUK leader Talabani.  Turkey had no territorial 
claims that could provoke such statements; Turkish troops in 
the north were invited by Talabani and Barzani and would be 
withdrawn when there was no longer any threat to Turkey. 
Thus, Gul said, the Kurds in Iraq should focus their efforts 
on maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity by participating 
in efforts to strengthen the central governing authority. 
 
 
6. (C) Lugar responded that any GOT decision on participating 
in stabilization must be based on calculations of national 
interest.  The U.S. did not want to intrude in the 
approaching public and parliamentary discussion.  Lugar said 
the U.S. could not leave Iraq reconstruction efforts 
unfinished.  Thus, the U.S. hoped that the U.S. and Turkey 
would be working together as partners in the stabilization 
force.  Lugar said the U.S. appreciated Turkey's agreement to 
send a search and rescue team to help recovery efforts at the 
UN headquarters in Baghdad.   He noted that Turkey could be 
especially helpful in the drafting of the new Iraqi 
constitution, given the complexities of Iraq. 
 
 
7. (C) Gul underscored Turkey's bitter, long-term experience 
battling against terrorism and the price Turkey paid in 
combating the PKK.  Our terrorists are your terrorists, he 
said.  Lugar and the DCM emphasized U.S. agreement with this 
view, adding that the USG had made a commitment to help bring 
an end to the PKK/Kadek's use of northern Iraq as a safe 
haven.  Turning to the Middle East, Gul noted that Turkey 
enjoyed good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians, 
and would urge both sides to implement the Road Map.  Lugar 
applauded Turkey's approach. 
 
 
8. (C) In response to Lugar's reiteration of vigorous U.S. 
support for Turkey's EU candidacy and at the same time the 
importance of solving the Cyprus question (and of holding 
free and fair elections in the north in December), Gul 
expressed appreciation for U.S. support on the EU.  With 
passage of numerous reform packages, Gul said, Turkey had 
fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and now would show it could 
implement the reforms.  The EU targets and timetable were a 
useful stimulus, but the GOT was passing these reforms for 
Turkey's sake, not merely to respond to the EU.  If EU 
leaders set a date for negotiations at the December 2004 EU 
summit, it would also be good for Europe, since Turkey's 
membership would enrich Europe. 
 
 
Meeting with Defense Minister Gul 
--------------------------------- 
 
 
9. (C) In his meeting with Minister of National Defense 
Gonul, Lugar emphasized that he had come to Turkey to 
reaffirm the longstanding U.S.-Turkey relationship, which, 
despite recent ups and downs, he still believed was on solid 
footing.  Lugar noted that as fellow parliamentarians they 
should both provide leadership in getting the relationship 
back on track.  Gonul agreed that, in general, the countries 
remained on the "same course."  Lugar was pleased to hear 
that a delegation from the Iraqi Governing Council would be 
visiting Ankara, and he encouraged Turkey to lend its 
expertise as a Muslim democracy to the Iraqis.  Gonul agreed 
that a constitution based on Turkey,s secular underpinnings 
would help Iraq avoid some of the problems Pakistan was 
facing. 
 
 
10. (C) Lugar lamented the acts of sabotage on Iraqi 
pipelines, noting how desperately the Iraqis needed the oil 
revenue.  He added that stability in Iraq was also necessary 
to encourage foreign investment and provide jobs and revenue 
beyond just oil.  Lugar urged the GOT to help the U.S. 
reestablish stability in Iraq and enjoy the economic benefits 
of having a stable neighbor.  Gonul said that Turkey needed 
to recommence the trade it enjoyed with Iraq before the Gulf 
War, but added that a culture of "rule of law" was important 
to attracting foreign investment and realizing this goal.  In 
addition, Iraqis had been living under a dictatorship for a 
half-century, but they were an intellectual people from whom 
the first civilization emanated and they would adapt.  Gonul 
said the GOT was working hard on the details of a deployment 
to the stabilization force, but when those were worked out, 
he was optimistic the Prime Minister would give the effort 
his "full support." 
 
 
Meeting with Chief of TGS Ozkok 
------------------------------- 
 
 
11. (C) Lugar reiterated to Chief of TGS GEN Ozkok that he 
had come to Turkey to help ensure the U.S.-TU relationship 
was on track.  Ozkok noted his appreciation for the successes 
of the Global War on Terrorism but added that the previous 
day,s attack on the UN HQ in Baghdad proved that no one was 
immune from terrorist attacks.  Lugar said the U.S. was 
committed to making Iraq and Afghanistan stable and would 
continue to work until stability was achieved.  Ozkok was 
optimistic that the situation in Iraq would improve, despite 
the tough issues that remained; the main goal in the short 
term should be to show people at least some improvement in 
their lives since the Saddam regime.  Ozkok and Lugar agreed 
that the international face of the stabilization force was 
positive; Ozkok noted in particular the participation of 
former Soviet republics would be a "test" of the PfP program. 
 He opined that a presidential vice parliamentary system 
might work better in Iraq after so long a dictatorship, and 
Lugar encouraged Turkey to share its expertise with Iraq. 
Ozkok told Lugar that the GOT was assessing the situation for 
a Turkish deployment to Iraq and was looking forward to 
face-to-face talks on the details of Jones-Ozkok letter he 
had received. 
 
 
Meeting with Justice Minister Cicek 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
12. (C) Lugar asked Justice Minister Cicek what the USG could 
do to improve the image of the U.S. in the eyes of the 
Turkish public.  As democracies, Turkey and the U.S. must 
take public opinion into account, and it was therefore in 
their mutual interest to project a positive image, Lugar 
said.  Cicek acknowledged that Turkish-U.S. disagreements 
relating to the war in Iraq had stoked anti-American 
sentiment.  Turks were deeply offended by American press 
commentary and political cartoons in the run-up to the war. 
The GOT appreciated U.S. economic support, Cicek said, but 
the US government should not assume that this support 
guaranteed Turkey,s unlimited, unconditional allegiance. 
Cicek said the GOT was also "disturbed" that in northern Iraq 
the USG chose to side with "two clan leaders" (referring to 
KDP leader Barzani and PUK leader Talabani) rather than 
Turkey, despite 57 years of U.S.-Turkish alliance and 
friendship.  Lugar said the USG had taken lessons from the 
Iraq crisis.  He opined that the U.S. had not been sensitive 
enough to the economic sacrifices made by Turkey in the first 
Gulf War, and had to understand that Turkey would make 
decisions based on its own national interests. 
 
 
13. (C) Cicek raised the annual U.S. congressional resolution 
on the Armenian "genocide," calling it a chronic irritant for 
Turkey.  Congress should either approve it or reject it once 
and for all, rather than review it every year, he argued. 
Lugar noted that he had worked, successfully so far, to block 
the resolution.  He said he hoped Turkey and Armenia would 
resolve their border disputes, and that such an agreement 
would put an end to the annual resolution debate. 
 
 
14. (U) Lugar expressed appreciation on behalf of the USG for 
Cicek,s assistance in handling child abduction cases under 
the Hague Convention on Child Abduction.  Cicek said there 
had been problems in "one or two" abduction cases.  At the 
urging of Ambassador Pearson, he said, he had followed 
closely these cases in the court system, and was always ready 
to help expedite abduction cases whenever appropriate. 
 
 
15. (U) Senator Lugar did not have the opportunity to clear 
this cable. 
EDELMAN