US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1005

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 001005 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN:  MFA REQUESTS USG REACTION TO 
PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH PRT IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN AND 
RESOLUTION OF HELO AIRCRAFT ISSUE 
 
REF: A) ANKARA 920 B) 03 KABUL 3455 
 
 
(U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Deutsch. 
Reasons:  1.5 (B and D). 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (U) This is an action request.  See para 5. 
 
 
2. (C) MFA and TGS reached an agreement February 18 to 
establish a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in 
Afghanistan.  MFA/TGS want to move quickly:  their goal is to 
stand up a PRT by the time of the NATO Summit.  MFA/TGS have 
asked for Washington's reaction to their proposal (see para 8 
for details), which envisions a PRT in northern Afghanistan 
with a core in Faryab province and an AOR that might include 
two provinces currently under the UK-led PRT based in 
Mazar-e-Sharif and one uncovered province bordering 
Turkmenistan.  Location is key:  if the Turks are not able to 
establish a PRT in the north, they say they will not 
establish one at all.  Turkish President Sezer reportedly 
told visiting NATO SYG February 18 that Turkey was "actively 
considering" establishing a PRT and that the decision was 
dependent on doing so in the north.  They believe this 
proposal is consistent with NATO's initial conops for the 
expansion of PRTs. 
 
 
3. (C) If Washington's reaction is positive, the Turks intend 
to immediately approach the UK to explore reducing the UK 
PRT's AOR.  (The Turks say they already have some indications 
from the Brits that the current AOR is more then they can 
handle.)  If the UK's reaction is also positive, the MFA/TGS 
will submit a formal proposal to Prime Minister Erdogan 
requesting his political and financial approval -- a step the 
MFA/TGS would like to take next week and one they admit (at 
least in the case of money) may be tough.  If the PM is on 
board, the MFA/TGS intend to dispatch a site survey team to 
Afghanistan in March to examine the area under consideration 
and to meet with UK and US PRT personnel.  The MFA does not 
believe the GOT requires further authorization from the 
Parliament before deploying civilians/military personnel to 
Afghanistan as part of a PRT.  If Turkey is able to set up a 
PRT in the north, they are favorably inclined to provide 
police training there as well. 
 
 
4. (C) On ISAF, NATO SYG reportedly discussed (in general 
terms) the need for Allies to increase their contributions to 
ISAF during his February 18 visit to Ankara, but his specific 
focus with Turkey was on securing a commitment on PRTs.  MFA 
officials reiterated the GOT's desire for the US to follow 
through on its commitments to take care of the airlift 
required to transport the Turkish helicopters to Afghanistan 
for ISAF, and said a creative (and positive) resolution of 
this issue could impact favorably Turkey's deliberations on 
PRTs.  End summary. 
 
 
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RECOMMENDATION/ACTION REQUEST 
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5. (C) The Embassy strongly endorses the MFA/TGS proposal to 
establish a PRT in Afghanistan and recommends that Washington 
respond positively to the proposal.  A negative reaction from 
us will likely kill the PRT proposal and complicate future 
efforts to secure Turkish contributions to OEF or ISAF 
operations.  The Turks requested a US response by Feb. 23. 
Embassy requests that Washington provide us ASAP guidance to 
respond to the MFA's proposal to establish a PRT in the 
north, as well as their interest in providing police training 
in Afghanistan (para 13). 
 
 
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NEED TO INCREASE SUPPORT FOR AFGHANISTAN NOW 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
 
6. (C) MFA DDG for South Asian Affairs Aydin Evergin and DDG 
for NATO Affairs Fatih Ceylan informed pol-mil and deputy-pol 
counselors February 20 that the MFA and TGS had reached an 
agreement to establish a PRT in northern Afghanistan. 
Evergin said that while the MFA and TGS had been considering 
establishing a PRT, they believed it was important to wait 
and see how discussions in Brussels panned out before 
finalizing their deliberations.  The GOT was now at the 
"final stages" and wanted to move quickly in order to be able 
to stand up a PRT prior to the NATO Summit.  Evergin said it 
was also important to move quickly in order to shore up 
international support for Afghanistan at this important time 
in the country's political development.  The international 
community -- and NATO Allies in particular -- need to 
increase support for security and reconstruction efforts in 
Afghanistan.  He added that it would also be important for 
the Allies to show strong support for Afghanistan during the 
NATO Summit in Istanbul. 
 
 
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US/UK REACTIONS TO MFA/TGS PROPOSAL NEEDED 
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7. (C) Evergin asked that the USG provide an official 
reaction their proposal (see para 8) to establish a PRT in 
northern Afghanistan as soon as possible -- preferably by 
Monday, February 23.  Evergin said the MFA/TGS would not 
submit their proposal to the PM without first knowing the US 
and UK positions.  "If the US and the UK are not supportive, 
our recommendation to the PM will be negative."  Evergin said 
the MFA/TGS proposal had not yet been discussed with either 
the UK or with NATO.  "We want you (the US) to hear it 
first."  Evergin added that if the US responds positively, 
the MFA will then raise it immediately with the UK and 
eventually with NATO.  Ceylan said that while PM Erdogan did 
not know the details, he (Ceylan) had recently discussed the 
proposal with the PM's foreign policy advisor and told him 
that the PM would receive a joint MFA/TGS recommendation 
after getting reactions from the US and UK.  FM Gul, on the 
other hand, was knowledgeable about the concept and was on 
board. 
 
 
8. (C) Evergin then outlined the following MFA/TGS proposal: 
 
 
--Turkey would establish a new PRT in northern Afghanistan. 
 
 
--Faryab province would be the core of the PRT, with Maimana 
as a possible site of the PRT's HQs. 
 
 
--Faryab province would be the core, but the MFA/TGS are open 
to considering including the Jawzjian and Badghis provinces. 
(Note: at one point during the meeting, when we sought 
clarification on the areas under consideration, Ceylan said 
"Faryab is the priority, followed by Jawzjian.  We are also 
open to considering extending it to Badghis province."  End 
note.)  They recognized that Faryab and Jawzjian were 
currently in the AOR of the UK-led PRT based in Mazar. 
Ceylan said that UK officials on the ground in Afghanistan 
had indicated that they were not able to adequately take care 
of the entire area currently under their PRT. 
 
 
--The number of Turkish personnel would depend on the AOR. 
MFA/TGS were initially considering sending 50-80 people (both 
civilian and military), but this number could grow if the 
area of the PRT were to expand. 
 
 
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PROPOSAL CONSISTENT WITH NATO'S CONOPS 
-------------------------------------- 
 
 
9. (C) Evergin said there were a number of reasons why the 
MFA and TGS believed it was paramount that any TU-led PRT be 
established in northern Afghanistan.  He cited the following: 
 
 
--long-standing and positive relations with the peoples and 
leaders of the region; 
 
 
--common language and cultural affinity; 
 
 
--relative security of the north vis-a-vis other parts of the 
country; 
 
 
--logistical advantages of the north that would facilitate 
Turkey's ability to deploy and sustain forces; 
 
 
--complement plans to make significant contributions to 
reconstruction efforts in the north (Evergin mentioned plans 
to establish schools, agriculture centers in Faryab and 
Jawzjian provinces); and, 
 
 
--Faryab is one of the most neglected regions of the country 
and in need of international assistance. 
 
 
10. (C) Evergin acknowledged that while other NATO Allies 
were considering establishing PRTs, they were not looking at 
the same area being proposed by Turkey.  Ceylan added that 
NATO SYG confirmed during his meeting with Turkish President 
Sezer that Turkey's consideration of establishing a proposal 
in the northern was consistent with NATO's initial concept of 
operations, particularly the desire for the counter-clockwise 
expansion of PRTs. 
 
 
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SITE SURVEY 
----------- 
 
 
11. (C) Evergin said that once the Prime Minister approves 
the proposal, MFA and TGS intend to send a team to northern 
Afghanistan to survey the area under consideration and to 
meet with US and UK personnel involved with the PRTs. Evergin 
said that while Turks had visited the area under 
consideration, they had not done so with an eye toward 
establishing a PRT.  A site survey would also give the 
MFA/TGS a better sense of exactly how many personnel and what 
supporting materials would be needed to stand up the PRT. 
 
 
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NO PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED 
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12. (C) Both Evergin and Ceylan said they did not believe 
that further Parliamentary approval would be required in 
order for Turkish civilians and troops to be deployed to 
Afghanistan as part of a PRT.  Evergin said that the GOT was 
"covered" by Parliament's decision in September 2001 
authorizing the deployment of Turkish troops abroad in 
support of OEF and ISAF. 
 
 
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PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE POLICE TRAINING 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
13. (C) Evergin said that during a recent meeting with USG 
officials in Afghanistan (ref b), Turkish officials were 
encouraged to participate in police training efforts in 
Afghanistan.  US officials reportedly said that Turkey could 
help provide training at the US-established police training 
center in Kabul or at other centers being established 
elsewhere in the country.  He said the Turkish police were 
favorably disposed to provide training in Afghanistan.  If 
the GOT were to establish a PRT in northern Afghanistan, 
Turkey would be inclined to provide police training there as 
well if the US provided the facilities. 
 
 
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ISAF 
---- 
 
 
14. (C) Deputy pol-mil counselor asked if the issue of 
additional Turkish contributions to ISAF was discussed during 
NATO SYG's visit to Ankara.  Ceylan said the SYG noted in 
general terms the need for all Allies to increase 
contributions to ISAF, but said the focus of the SYG's 
discussions was on securing a commitment from the GOT on PRTs. 
 
 
15. (C) Caylan raised the issue of the Turkish helicopters 
for ISAF (ref a), saying that during a conversation between 
SECDEF and MOD Gonul during the December 1, 2003 Defense 
Ministerial in Brussels, he heard SECDFEF tell Gonul that "if 
you take this decision (to offer helos for ISAF), we will 
help you with the transportation."  SACEUR and VCJCS Pace had 
made similar comments to TGS.  Ceylan added that the Germans 
had told the Turks that they would assist with 
sustainment/logistics support for the helos while they are in 
Afghanistan.  Ceylan encouraged the US to come up with a 
"creative" solution to address the issue of airlift in a NATO 
context.  This could facilitate winning government approval 
(and funding) of the PRT, he concluded. 
EDELMAN