US embassy cable - 03ANKARA5963

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005963 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2013 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TU 
SUBJECT: TURKEY: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH OPPOSITION CHP 
LEADER BAYKAL 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reason: 1.5 (b,d). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary: In a Sept. 17 meeting with the Ambassador, 
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz 
Baykal said it will be difficult to support USG policy in 
Iraq given the current ambiguous attitude of some Iraqis 
toward Turkey.  He also asserted that any new UNSC resolution 
will have to explain how power will be handed over to Iraqi 
civilians and provide guarantees of Iraqi territorial 
integrity.  Baykal denied his party is anti-American and 
insisted CHP believes in strong U.S.-Turkey ties. End summary. 
 
 
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"Uninviting Atmosphere" in Iraq 
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2. (C) In a lengthy discussion that centered almost entirely 
on Iraq, CHP leader Baykal claimed that the current 
environment in Iraq makes it hard for Turkey to contribute 
troops to a stabilization force.  A subdued Baykal said that 
public statements by some Kurds in N. Iraq and by the IGC 
have created a "serious ambiguity" with regard to whether 
Turkish support is wanted or not.  Unspecified controversial 
statements made by Barzani and Talabani are negatively 
impacting Turkish public opinion, creating an "uninviting 
atmosphere."  Baykal also raised the presence of PKK/KADEK 
militants, which he said limits Turkey's room for maneuver. 
He said the great danger is that instability in Iraq will 
grow and could spill over into other countries in the region. 
 
 
3. (C) The Ambassador urged Baykal to look at the big 
picture.  Turkey should decide whether and how it can 
contribute to the democratic process already underway. The 
Ambassador explained the USG's commitment to fighting 
terrorism, including the threat from PKK/KADEK. 
 
 
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UNSC Resolution Might Help, or Not 
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4. (C) Baykal -- who openly opposes USG Iraq policy 
primarily, he said, because it lacks international legitimacy 
-- did not say whether a new UNSC resolution would alter his 
party's stance.  He said that any UNSC resolution would have 
to do two things: 1) provide a clear timetable for the 
transfer of authority to Iraqi civilians; and 2) provide 
clear guarantees of Iraqi territorial integrity.  Baykal 
underscored that the clarity of the timetable would be the 
most important thing. 
 
 
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CHP Shenanigans 
--------------- 
 
 
5. (C) The Ambassador noted USG's great disappointment with 
CHP's inflammatory rhetoric.  Baykal claimed CHP has been 
very measured (sic) in its opposition to USG Iraq policy.  He 
said he personally made sure no CHP local or national 
organization demonstrated against the U.S., despite pressure 
from the grassroots.  Baykal defended statements made by 
former senior diplomats and current CHP M.P.s Onur Oymen and 
Sukru Elekdag, saying "they are still friends of the U.S." 
He suggested that the U.S. look at their statements from a 
different -- though unspecified -- perspective.  Baykal 
stressed that CHP supports strong U.S.-Turkey ties but hopes 
the U.S. will be sensitive to the party's concerns. 
 
 
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Comment 
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7. (C) Baykal received the Ambassador without any other CHP 
officials present.  This probably reflects Baykal's desire to 
control the flow of information to the press and within his 
party.  Moreover, with his party lagging in the polls and 
rumblings of discontent in the ranks, Baykal probably did not 
want anyone to see him 'soft' on the U.S. privately, while 
forcefully criticizing the U.S. publicly.  Baykal's attempt 
to portray the CHP's public stance on Iraq as something other 
than anti-American demagoguery is pure fiction. 
EDELMAN