US embassy cable - 03ANKARA6499

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/SE, EUR/RPM, PM 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, TU, IZ, PTER, ASEC, AF, AR 
SUBJECT: MFA DEPUTY U/S TUYGAN STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF 
"GETTING IT RIGHT" ON POSSIBLE TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO 
STABILIZATION FORCE 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman.  Reasons:  1.5 (B 
and D). 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) MFA Deputy U/S Tuygan told Ambassador October 16 that 
the GOT was grateful for the US assistance before and after 
the recent bombing in front of the Turkish embassy in 
Baghdad.  Tuygan agreed that it was important for the US and 
Turkey to manage and "get right" the issue of a possible 
Turkish contribution to the stabilization force in Iraq. 
Tuygan said that passage of the resolution before the UNSC 
enhanced the stature of the IGC and increased the importance 
of Turkey obtaining the GC's support before deploying troops 
to Iraq.  FM Gul's public call for the OIC to play a larger 
role in Iraq is in part fueled by private criticism by some 
OIC members of Turkey "going at it alone" in Iraq and 
designed to press the OIC to take a more supportive role in 
Iraq.  Tuygan characterized statements by Kurdish leaders 
that Turkey would not be permitted to deploy to Iraq through 
the north as unhelpful, particularly given Turkey's past 
support for the Kurds through Operation Northern Watch. 
Turkey will continue to press Iran to cooperate fully with 
the IAEA and the wider international community.  Turkey would 
like to remain engaged in Afghanistan and likely will direct 
its limited resources to contributing to existing PRTs and 
other areas where it can have an impact.   If SYG Robertson 
establishes a special representative for Afghanistan, Turkey 
may put forward a candidate.  Turkey remains open to improved 
relations with Armenia but the GOA must make the first move 
and recognize turkey's borders.  End summary. 
 
 
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BOMBING IN FRONT OF TU EMBASSY IN BAGHDAD 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
2. (C) Ambassador called on MFA Deputy Under Secretary Ali 
Tuygan October 16.  He opened the meeting by expressing his 
regrets for the recent bombing in front of the Turkish 
embassy in Baghdad.  Tuygan said Turkey was grateful for the 
assistance provided by the US before (i.e. intel sharing) and 
after the incident.  "If the barriers had not been stationed 
in front of the embassy, someone certainly would have died." 
He personally thanked CPA Chief of Staff Kennedy for his 
offer to provide temporary housing for the Turkish Ambassador 
in Baghdad, whose residence received far greater damage than 
initial reports had indicated. 
 
 
3. (C) Tuygan said the GOT had decided to send a military 
aircraft to Baghdad on Friday, October 18 to assess the 
damage and determine a course of action to repair it.  The 
aircraft may need to remain on the ground in Baghdad longer 
than what he understands to be the "maximum" of five hours, 
and he requested the Embassy's assistance in securing the 
necessary support and permission from US authorities in 
Baghdad for the mission.  (Comment: ODC/Turkey coordinated 
this request with appropriate authorities that day.  End 
comment.)  Tuygan said the aircraft may also transport back 
some non-essential personnel stationed at the Turkish embassy 
in Baghdad and some valuables (including antique paintings) 
that cannot be safeguarded. 
 
 
4. (C) Tuygan said that the GOT was watching other countries' 
reactions to the bombing.  In addition to the US, NATO, the 
EU and the Greeks already had issued statements condemning 
the bombing.  Unfortunately, "others" (unspecified) were 
using the bombing to stress the dangers associated with 
Turkish troops deploying to Iraq, he said.  Still others were 
using the bombing to suggest that PKK/Kadek will be dealt 
with. 
 
 
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IRAQ AND THE STABILIZATION FORCE 
-------------------------------- 
 
 
5. (C) Tuygan said the US and Turkey had been through a lot 
during the last year.  Mistakes had been made on both sides. 
Now we are a critical point in the relationship.  Tuygan 
thought it was important for the US and Turkey "to get right" 
the issue of a possible Turkish contribution to the 
stabilization force in Iraq.  The Ambassador added that it 
was more important to get it right than to do it fast. 
Tuygan concurred.  Tuygan added that there were a number of 
new elements in play, including the likely passage of a new 
UNSCR on Iraq later that day (October 16).  The new 
resolution would elevate the status of the Governing Council 
in Iraq and therefore make it more important for Turkey to 
have the support of the GC before the Turks deploy troops to 
Iraq, Tuygan argued.  The Ambassador cautioned Tuygan against 
Turkey's expecting a formal invitation from the GC.  Tuygan 
acknowledged that such a statement might be difficult. 
Turning to Turkish-Iraqi relations, Tuygan said that Turkey 
had underdone a transformation in the last year on Iraq and 
the GOT wanted to help in Iraq in any way it could. 
 
 
6. (C) Ambassador said that an important part of our combined 
effort to manage the issue of a possible Turkish contribution 
to Iraq involved the press.  Recent press reports circulating 
around Ankara that Turkey would have to contribute up to 
50,000 troops were unhelpful and could complicate prospects 
for a possible Turkish contribution.  The Ambassador asked 
Tuygan to work with us to manage the press.  Tuygan agreed, 
describing such press reports as "crazy."  Tuygan said there 
was one factor that, if left unattended, would complicate 
Turkey's efforts on this front:  further statements by 
Kurdish officials that Turkish troops would not be permitted 
to pass through the north en route to their area of operation 
will cause the GOT problems with the Turkish public and 
others in Turkey.  Tuygan said he found the Kurds' position 
particularly unhelpful, given Turkey's past support for the 
Kurds in the form of more than 12 years of cooperation in 
Operation Northern Watch. 
 
 
7. (C) Tuygan described the recent visit by the CPA's 
Greenstock to Turkey as useful.  He said that Greenstock 
arrived in Ankara with a more "rosy" picture of the overall 
situation in Iraq than the prevailing view in Turkey, a 
position that Tuygan acknowledged as not surprising given 
that he had come from Iraq and therefore was more aware of 
the positive developments there and anxious to share them. 
Tuygan said that by the end of the visit, Greenstock and 
Ziyal agreed there were a number of challenges that lie ahead. 
 
 
8. (C) The Ambassador asked Tuygan if he could elaborate on 
press reports suggesting that FM Gul had called for an 
Islamic peacekeeping force for Iraq during the recent OIC 
meeting in Malaysia.  Tuygan said that he had not seen the 
proposals that Gul had reportedly offered during the OIC 
meeting.  Until now the OIC had not come out in favor of 
supporting stabilization efforts in Iraq, and a number of OIC 
members were telling Turkish officials that Turkey should not 
contribute troops to Iraq.  Tuygan then outlined what he 
believed was the reasoning behind the FM's public call for 
the OIC to play a greater role in Iraq:  "If you (the OIC 
members) are not happy with Turkey going in alone to Iraq, 
then why don't you go in with us?"  Tuygan said that he had 
heard from the Turkish delegation in Kuala Lumpur that the 
OIC resolution may call on OIC members to make greater 
contributions to reconstruction and stabilization efforts in 
Iraq.   If this were to occur, "this would be enough for us." 
 
 
 
 
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IRAN 
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9. (C) The Ambassador thanked Tuygan for Turkey's support at 
the IAEA on Iran.  Tuygan said that the GOI was not happy 
with Turkey's position.  That said, Turkey will continue to 
insist in its discussions with the Iranians that there is 
only one way out:  full transparency and cooperation with the 
IAEA and the wider international community.  Tuygan said the 
burden is on Iran to prove to the rest of the world that it 
is cooperating. 
 
 
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AFGHANISTAN 
----------- 
 
 
10. (C) Tuygan said that Afghanistan remains important for 
Turkey while acknowledging that it has lost some of its 
significance as Iraq-related issues increase in importance. 
He confirmed that Turkey intends to contribute civilian 
personnel to the UK-led PRT in Mazar and that the idea of 
Turkey leading its own PRT is still under discussion.  In an 
internal MFA discussion the previous day (October 15), 
however, Tuygan said he recommended that for the time being 
Turkey focus its attention and possible contributions in 
Afghanistan on a limited number of sectors where it could 
have a real and positive impact.  Tuygan listed health and 
agriculture as two possibilities, and said Turkey was 
considering sending a couple of advisors to work with Afghan 
authorities in these two areas.  Tuygan said that he had 
learned that the SYG Robertson was considering establishing 
the position of a special representative for Afghanistan, and 
that Turkey was considering putting forward a candidate. 
 
 
11.  (C) Tuygan said that in the past, Dostum had been 
singled out by Tajik groups as a source of concern in 
northern Afghanistan.  From the beginning, Turkey has advised 
Dostum to transform himself from a warlord into politician. 
Tuygan acknowledged that such a transformation would not be 
easy, but argued that Dostum was making an effort.  Tuygan 
said that Dostum is cooperating with Karzai and asked that 
the US keep this in mind. 
 
 
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AZERBAJIAN AND ARMENIA 
---------------------- 
 
 
12. (C) Tuygan noted that initial reports suggested that PM 
Aliyev had obtained a majority of the votes in Azerbajian's 
Presidential elections.  Tuygan said it was too early to tell 
whether an Aliyev victory could have a positive impact on 
Turkish-Armenian relations.  He reiterated that FM Gul 
remained committed to a trilateral meeting with his Azeri and 
Armenian counterparts, and would likely continue to support 
holding such a meeting in Turkey.  Tuygan said he understood 
that the Minsk Group had some new proposals for progress and 
said Turkey would be interested in learning more about the 
ideas.  Tuygan insisted that Turkey was prepared to move 
forward with Armenia, but the GOA first had to make a gesture 
and move on recognizing Turkey's borders.  Turkey and Armenia 
have made good progress in their bilateral talks and said 
that Turkish Airlines soon would begin flying to Yerevan. 
 
 
13. (U) Baghdad and Kabul minimize considered. 
EDELMAN