US embassy cable - 04ANKARA1711

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 001711 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2029 
TAGS: AF, MARR, PREL, TU 
SUBJECT: AFGHAN COORDINATOR TAYLOR'S VISIT TO ANKARA 
 
REF: A)ANKARA 1382 B)STATE 50477 C)ANKARA 1318 
     D)ANKARA 1162 E) ANKARA 1005 
 
 
 (U) Classified by Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
 
1.  (C) Summary: Afghan Coordinator Taylor held wide-ranging 
and candid consultations with MFA and TGS officials in Ankara 
on March 12.  Turkish officials stressed the theme of 
"Afghanistan for Afghans" throughout the talks, arguing their 
commitment to stabilization and reconstruction efforts there 
are not motivated by a desire to support one ethnic group 
over another.  They reiterated their interest in establishing 
a PRT in northern Afghanistan and are waiting for SHAPE to 
respond formally to their proposal.  MFA officials exhibited 
varying degrees of flexibility on location and reluctantly 
accepted the importance of having SHAPE and the Afghan 
government coordinate in the overall PRT decision-making 
process.  The Turks also reiterated their interest in 
increasing their contributions to ANA and police training, 
but hinted that such steps would likely be predicated on 
establishing a PRT.  The Turks likewise intend to move ahead 
(independent of the PRT decision) with plans to deepen their 
involvement in education, medical and agriculture 
reconstruction projects in the north, while making clear that 
a PRT would greatly facilitate such efforts. End Summary. 
 
 
2. (C) Afghanistan Coordinator Ambassador Taylor and JCS/J5 
South Asia Branch Chief Col Schrader, accompanied by Embassy 
officials, held wide-ranging consultations with MFA and TGS 
officials March 12 in Ankara.  MFA Deputy U/S for Bilateral 
Affairs Ali Tuygan led the Turkish delegation that included 
senior MFA officials from South Asian and NATO Affairs, as 
well as an officer from the Turkish General Staff (TGS). The 
delegation also met separately with TGS Deputy J3 for 
Operations Major General Bekir Kalyoncu and other TGS 
officers. 
 
 
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AFGHANISTAN FOR AFGHANS 
------------------------ 
 
 
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ELECTIONS 
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3. (C) Ambassador Taylor said the US, the UN and the Afghan 
government were focused on the elections.  Timing was key. 
Noting that the Afghanistan constitution calls for 
presidential and parliamentary elections to occur 
simultaneously, he said the US believed it was important to 
make every effort to try to convene both elections by June 
2004.  Taylor reported that the UN got a late start on 
election preparations.  Much would depend on the UN,s 
ability to increase registration throughout the country. 
Admitting that the cost caused some sticker shock for 
international donors, Taylor said the registration process 
will cost USD 90 million and simultaneous elections will cost 
USD 46 million.  He stressed the need for the international 
community to provide adequate resources for voter 
registration/election day voting, and the necessary security 
forces to ensure that Afghans are able to vote free of 
intimidation.  President Karzai is also committed to 
convening the elections in June and wants to avoid any delay. 
 
 
 
 
4. (C) Tuygan opened the meeting by thanking Ambassador 
Taylor for coming to Ankara to hold formal discussions with 
GOT officials on Afghanistan.  He reaffirmed Turkey,s 
commitment to reconstruction and stabilization efforts in 
Afghanistan, and stressed the theme of &Afghanistan for 
Afghans8 throughout the talks.  As Afghanistan works through 
an important period, the international community must work to 
ensure movement toward a more balanced representation of all 
ethnic groups to avoid past patterns of one group dominating 
another.  Ensuring a sense of fairness and justice will be 
important to pave the way for a smooth transfer of power. 
 
 
5. (C) Deputy U/S Tuygan said that he agreed in principle 
that it was important to stick to a specific date.  But if 
the registration process does not reach an adequate level 
within a reasonable amount of time, it would not be a good 
idea to go ahead with elections.  He added that if elections 
must be postponed, it should be for as little time as 
possible.  In the event that presidential and parliamentary 
elections need to be split, they should be as close together 
as possible.  In the end, the Afghans must decided for 
themselves. 
 
 
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PRTS 
---- 
 
 
6. (C) Both Deputy U/S Tuygan and MG Kalyoncu noted that 
earlier in the week Turkey had submitted three options for 
establishing a PRT in northern Afghanistan to SHAPE (ref A). 
Tuygan noted that Turkey,s initial proposal to establish a 
PRT was made in response to the fact that the existing UK PRT 
did not cover all of the northern region, and the premise 
that the UK would welcome it.  For security, cultural, and 
linguistic reasons, a Turkish-led PRT in the north 
represented the best chance of success for Turkey.  DDG for 
NATO Affairs Ceylan stressed that there were important 
logistical and operational reasons why Turkey believed it was 
important to establish a PRT in the north. 
 
 
7. (C) Ceylan said it was important for NATO and the Allies 
to follow established NATO procedures during its operations 
in Afghanistan.  He noted that SHAPE,s Stage 1 and Stage 2 
priorities for the deployment of PRTs had created confusion 
among the Allies, including Turkey.  He added that Turkey had 
also received some mixed signals from the US since putting 
forth its proposal on February 20 (ref B).  Turkey,s 
proposal had been included in the list of requirements 
generated by SHAPE at the March 11 Force Generation 
Conference.  The GOT believed that the three options put 
forth by Turkey provided SHAPE with a considerable degree of 
flexibility to consider, and added that Turkey was currently 
waiting for a formal response from SHAPE. 
 
 
8. (C) Ambassador Taylor welcomed the Turkish proposal to 
establish a PRT in Afghanistan.  While recognizing the 
importance of integrating individual countries, proposals 
into SHAPE,s operational planning requirements, Taylor 
stressed the importance of the Afghan national government ) 
through the PRT executive committee in Kabul ) in guiding 
the location of PRTs.  From the outset, President Karzai has 
played a leading role in determining the location of PRTs ) 
including US-led ones.  It is important for SHAPE to continue 
to discuss the location of PRTs with Afghan authorities. 
 
 
9. (C) Ambassador Taylor added that he had just come from 
London, where he had discussed the issue of PRTs with the 
British and the Italians.  Both welcomed Turkey,s offer as 
another expression of the Alliance's willingness to succeed 
in Afghanistan.  He noted that the areas within northern 
Afghanistan identified by SHAPE as Stage 1 appeared to be 
covered by the existing and soon-to-be-formed UK PRTs.  The 
UK already led an existing PRT, and intended to establish a 
forward operating base in Mazar and a second PRT in Faryab 
province in the northwest.  He added that the Italians had 
offered to take over the US-led PRT in Herat and to establish 
a forward operating base in the province as well that would 
provide a supporting function to PRTs in the region.  Taylor 
said that the Italians had expressed an interest in working 
with the Turks in that region.   Taylor said that based on 
his understanding of the current situations, there appeared 
to be an opportunity to find an acceptable solution ) for 
SHAPE, the Afghan central government and Turkey ) that 
involved a Turkish-led PRT in Badghis, based on the fact that 
Badghis appeared on the Turkish list.  Tuygan replied &let's 
wait and see how SHAPE responds to our proposal.8  Kalyoncu 
was more direct:   &if one of our three proposals is not 
accepted by SHAPE, we will not do anything.8 (Comment: This 
comment likely reflects that the Turkish military is a 
reluctant participant in Turkey's PRT proposal.) 
 
 
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TURKEY:  COMMITTED TO NOT SUPPORTING ONE GROUP OVER ANOTHER 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
 
10. (C) Tuygan stated that Turkey,s interest in establishing 
a PRT in the north was not to support a single group (i.e. 
Dostum).  We want to be 100 percent sure, he emphasized, that 
there is no question about our objectives.  The Turkish 
military demonstrated in exemplary fashion in the past, both 
in the Balkans and more recently in Afghanistan as leader of 
ISAF II, that it is capable of acting in an even-handed and 
neutral manner.  Tuygan noted that Turkish soldiers helped 
repair not only mosques but also churches in the Balkans.  MG 
Kayloncu argued that Turkish soldiers are trained to be 
neutral before they deploy abroad and have behaved 
accordingly.  He noted that when disputes erupted between 
different groups in the Balkans and there was a need for 
arbitration or mediation by a third party, the parties often 
times turned to the Turkish battalion commander. 
 
 
11. (C) Specifically turning to Dostum, Tuygan said that 
Turkey has been advising Dostum for some time that &times 
have changed in Afghanistan,8 and that he needs to make the 
transition from a regional player and act like a political 
leader of a party.  He argued that by establishing a PRT in 
the north, Turkey could take advantage of its ties and 
influence with the parties there to bring about positive 
developments.  He said that Turkey believes that Dostum has 
made some progress in this area given the circumstances. 
Tuygan argued that last fall there was considerable pressure 
on Dostum to expedite the DDR process at the very time when 
there was increase in Taliban activity in the south and a 
move to the north.  Too radical a push for change in the 
north at such a time would have led to incredible instability 
there.  While Turkey is committed to continuing to tell 
Dostum to comply with the DDR process, Tuygan argued that a 
sense of justice is needed and it will be equally important 
that it be done on a fair, equal basis across the country. 
 
 
12. (C) Taylor acknowledged that similar language, cultural 
affinity and familiarity with the local population could all 
be positive factors in helping Turkey succeed in the north. 
However, these factors cut both ways.  In Afghanistan, where 
a number of ethnic rivalries are at play, perceptions )- 
especially among the Afghans ) are important.  If Turkey was 
in the north and a dispute between ethnic groups was to break 
out, there might be a perception that Turkey would side with 
one group over another. 
 
 
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DONOR'S CONFERENCE IN BERLIN 
---------------------------- 
 
 
13. (C) Ambassador Taylor said the upcoming Afghan donors 
conference in Berlin at the end of the month was a defining 
moment for the Afghans and the international community. 
Noting that the Secretary and other important world leaders 
were committed to attend, Taylor urged MFA officials to 
encourage FM Gul to attend the conference.  (Note:  After the 
morning session at the MFA, Ambassador Taylor met FM Gul 
before the latter spoke to the press, and encouraged him to 
attend the conference.  Gul was non-committal.  MFA officials 
had told us the previous night that there may be an 
extraordinary NSC meeting on Cyprus around the same time as 
the conference and therefore Gul may not be able to attend. 
End note.) 
 
 
14. (C) Ambassador Taylor added there were a number of 
important objectives.  First, it would be an important time 
for the international community to pledge much-needed 
resources for the immediate term (i.e. upcoming fiscal year) 
in Afghanistan.  Second, it would serve to press the Afghan 
government to make important political decisions, including 
when to convene elections.  Third, the Afghans and the 
international community needed to step up their commitments 
in security sector reform. 
 
 
15. (C) Taylor said that Afghan Finance Minister Ghani will 
present a study showing that Afghanistan will need USD 28 
billion in the coming 7 years.  Taylor and Tuygan agreed that 
this figure should not be our goal in Berlin.  The measure of 
success, they agreed, was donor pledges to cover the GOA's 
budget needs for the coming fiscal year. 
 
 
16. (C) JCS Col Schrader outlined US plans for the training 
of the Afghan National Army (ANA), provided the Turkish 
delegation with papers identifying the needs of the ANA, and 
asked GOT officials to consider offering mobile training or 
embedded training teams.  Amb. Taylor added that police 
training was another area in need of assistance, noting that 
the regional training centers (RTCs) established by the US 
and others at PRTs were making major contributions to overall 
police training efforts in Afghanistan.  Deputy U/S Tuygan 
noted that Turkey remained interested in contributing to the 
ANA training efforts in principle, but hinted that the 
Turkish military might be constrained by budgetary limits, 
given the large number of active training programs elsewhere 
(i.e. Georgia, Albania, Azerbaijan).  MG Kalyoncu merely 
noted the requirement. 
 
 
17. (C) MFA officials provided Ambassador Taylor with a 
detailed briefing of Turkey,s assistance projects.  Turkey 
has exceeded its original pledge of USD 5 million and has 
committed an additional USD 5 million over the next three 
years.  Turkey,s program will continue to emphasize projects 
in education, health and agriculture.  Turkey has built and 
restored a number of clinics and is looking for some help to 
manage the hospitals.  Taylor encouraged Turkish officials to 
contact USAID officials in Kabul.  He also suggested that a 
USAID official could be assigned to the Turkish PRT, which 
would help both sides coordinate assistance efforts.  Tuygan 
noted that Turkey was currently providing training to 15 
Afghan diplomats in Ankara ) the fourth group of 15 over the 
past year and a half. 
 
 
18. (U) Ambassador Taylor has cleared this message. 
 
 
19. (U) Kabul minimize considered. 
EDELMAN