US embassy cable - 04ANKARA482

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000482 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2014 
TAGS: IN, PARM, PK, PREL, PTER, TU 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT MUSHARRAF'S TURKEY VISIT CEMENTS TIES, 
SKIPS KEY ISSUES 
 
(U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, E. O. 12958, reasons 
1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Pakistani President Musharraf's January 
19-22 visit to Turkey was heavy on ceremony and warm 
rhetoric, but apparently skipped over key issues of 
cross-border terrorism and non-proliferation.  The visit 
appeared designed to cement ties, which had become testy in 
2002, and to avoid controversy.  One Turkish MFA official 
said the GOT sees the Musharraf government as relatively 
good, considering Pakistan's internal situation, and does not 
want to see Pakistan further "isolated" internationally.  It 
is not clear from our initial soundings whether mil-mil 
cooperation was discussed.  End Summary. 
 
 
Cementing Bilateral Relations 
 
 
2.  (C) The Musharraf visit was another step in cementing 
relations that became testy in 2002.  Then-PM Ecevit, 
visiting India in April, said it would be impossible for 
Turkey to support a military regime (in Pakistan).  Citing 
health reasons, Ecevit then canceled a scheduled May visit to 
Pakistan.  However, PM Erdogan visited Pakistan in June 2003. 
 
 
3.  (C) Musharraf got full honors:  meetings with Sezer, 
Erdogan and Gul; a stay at the Presidential Guest House; an 
address to Parliament.  Musharraf, who lived in Turkey when 
his father was posted here and took staff training in 
Istanbul, repeatedly referred to Turkey as his "home" and 
impressed Sezer by speaking to him in Turkish.  According to 
the UK Political Chief, who watched Musharraf's Parliament 
address (in English), Turkish lawmakers greeted him with 
genuine warmth. 
 
 
GOT Declines to "Squeeze" Musharraf on Cross-Border Terrorism 
 
 
4.  (U) Public rhetoric from Musharraf and his Turkish 
interlocutors during the visit repeatedly condemned terrorism 
and religious extremism.  During the visit, Turkey and 
Pakistan signed an anti-terror cooperation agreement covering 
exchanges of information and experts. 
 
 
5.  (C) However, according to Turkish MFA South Asia Head 
Ergin Soner, the subject of cross-border terrorism in Kashmir 
came up only through "indirect references."  Soner explained 
that the GOT preferred not to raise it directly because "if 
we squeeze Pakistan too much we're afraid we may lose them." 
Soner explained that the GOT's assessment was that Musharraf 
and his government were relatively good, given Pakistan's 
internal situation.  "It's not Turkey's job to take it 
(cross-border terrorism) up with them," he added, saying that 
Pakistan is already relatively "isolated" internationally. 
Soner said that he sees no change in the Pakistani attitude 
toward cross-border terrorism; he opined that Pakistan does 
not consider it terrorism. 
 
 
Kashmir 
 
 
6.  (C) On Kashmir itself, Soner noted that despite 
Musharraf's warm visit, Turkey has continued a more 
"balanced" approach to the Kashmir issue adopted after the 
Cold War, during which it strongly backed Pakistan.  Turkey 
needs that balance, he explained, in order to improve 
relations with India.  (He asserted that India has responded 
by becoming "more supportive" of Turkey on the Cyprus issue 
but did not amplify his comments.) 
 
 
Non-Proliferation Is a Non-Issue 
 
 
7.  (C) Both Soner and, in the the Pakistani DCM's absence, 
Pakistani Third Secretary Janbaz Khan said non-proliferation 
was a non-issue in the visit.  Soner said that FM Gul 
expressed "a general desire for non-proliferation in the 
region" and left it at that.  Khan also shrugged off the 
subject, saying non-proliferation did not come up because it 
"has nothing to do with Turkey."  Public statements during 
the visit avoided of any mention of the subject. 
 
 
8.  (C) Our interlocutors gave no sign that the two sides 
discussed further enhancement of historically close mil-mil 
ties. 
 
 
Trying to Shore Up Economic Ties 
 
 
9.  (C) Pakistan and Turkey signed three economic agreements 
during Musharraf's visit.  Soner hoped the visit will help 
pave the way for Turkish construction firms to win major 
contracts in Pakistan; he complained that Turkish companies 
have been shut out and Chinese firms have won contracts 
instead.  Khan, who did the advance work on the visit, 
claimed that the economic aspects were the most important. 
He said Pakistan is interested in Turkish construction firms, 
but has been reluctant to hire Turkish firms since an 
incident in which a Turkish construction firm defaulted on 
its contracted performance and the Turkish bank guaranteeing 
the project refused to pay damages. 
10.  (C) Comment:  The Musharraf visit appealed to two very 
different currents in Turkish foreign policy.  For the 
secular establishment, Musharraf gives the image of a secular 
authority figure who, at least rhetorically, has taken on 
religious extremism.  For PM Erdogan's AK government, 
cementing ties with Pakistan gives AK's more pious supporters 
a greater sense of Islamic solidarity.  End Comment. 
DEUTSCH