US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2293

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 002293 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR SA/FO - AMB. TAYLOR; JCS FOR J5 COL SCHRADER 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2013 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, TU, AF 
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN:  MFA/TGS TO RECOMMEND TO PM THAT THEY 
ESTABLISH PRT IN TAKHAR 
 
(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. (C) MFA and TGS will recommend to PM Erdogan that Turkey 
establish a PRT in Takhar province in northeastern 
Afghanistan.  The recommendation will also include a request 
for funding for the Turkish helicopters for ISAF, and a 
briefing on the possibility that the HRF in Istanbul may 
replace the Eurocorps in Afghanistan in February 2005.  The 
Turks are no longer interested in Baghlan province.  If the 
PM concurs, the GOT will inform the PRT ESC in Kabul.  Afghan 
MOI Jalali reportedly told members of the MFA/TGS team during 
their recent visit to Afghanistan that he would support a 
Turkish-led PRT in either province.  The PRT ESC reportedly 
did not make a decision on Turkey's PRT proposals.  The Turks 
continue to receive mixed and conflicting messages from the 
various actors (the Afghans, SHAPE, ISAF on the ground in 
Kabul, and Germans) regarding their PRT proposals.  End 
summary. 
 
 
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RECON VISIT TO AFGHANISTAN:  TAKHAR "YES," BAGHLAN "NO" 
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2. (C) MFA DDG for South Asian Affairs Aydin Evirgen (who led 
the GOT's April 9-16 recon visit to Afghanistan related to 
Turkey's desire to establish a PRT there) told deputy pol-mil 
counselor April 20 that the MFA and TGS intend to recommend 
to PM Erdogan next week (April 26-30) that Turkey establish a 
PRT in Takhar province.  Evirgin cited a number of reasons 
for the decision, including: 
 
 
--Logistics:  There is an airstrip in Konduz that the Germans 
use to supply the German-led PRT.  Turkish military talked to 
German officials in Konduz, observed the airstrip, and 
concluded it is suitable for setting up and sustaining a 
Turkish-led PRT in Takhar.  The road between the airstrip and 
Takhar is in "good condition." 
 
 
--AOR:  The AOR in Takhar is smaller and more manageable than 
the AOR in Baghlan.  The MFA and TGS officers believe the 
chances for success in Takhar are greater than in Baghlan. 
 
 
--Reconstruction Efforts:  A successful PRT mission in Takhar 
will increase the chances for success in other areas of 
on-going and future Turkish-led reconstruction (i.e. 
agriculture, health) efforts in the province. 
 
 
--Existing Clinic:  Turks have set up a clinic in the center 
of the province.   Turkish doctors are currently working 
there.  The presence of an existing clinic would alleviate 
the need of establishing a clinic as part of a PRT. 
 
 
--Positive Relations:  Turks have good relations with peoples 
in the region.  MFA/TGS officials met with leaders/actors in 
the province to gauge likely reaction to a TU-led PRT.  The 
reaction was mostly positive. 
 
 
3. (C) Evirgen said that following their visit to Baghlan 
province, and discussions with Afghan officials (both in 
Kabul and in Baghlan) and with others in Kabul, the MFA and 
TGS will recommend to the PM that Turkey not establish a PRT 
in Baghlan province.  Evirgen cited the following reasons: 
 
 
--AOR: the AOR is large, mountainous and difficult to get 
around. 
 
 
--Locals' Views:  Regional leaders and actors with whom the 
Turks met were "not warm" to the idea of a Turkish-led PRT. 
On the overall security situation, they argued that they had 
"everything under control" and there was "no need for 
foreigners" to set up a PRT there.  The Turks concluded that 
absent the support of the local population and regional 
leaders, they were unlikely to be successful there.  They 
also did not believe they could meet the locals' expectations 
for big-ticket reconstruction projects (i.e. universities, 
hospitals). 
 
 
--Netherlands:  The Turks received "a clear message" from 
ISAF and the Dutch in Afghanistan that SHAPE prefers that the 
Dutch establish a PRT in Baghlan. 
 
 
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MOI JALALI SUPPORTIVE OF TURKISH-LED PRT 
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4. (C) Evirgen said the TU delegation met with Afghan MOI 
Jalali before they visited Takhar and Baghlan provinces. 
Jalali reportedly was positive on Turkey leading a PRT in 
either Takhar or Baghlan province.  He provided the Turks 
with security and escorts during their recon visits, and 
asked them to inform the ESC PRT of Turkey's position after 
the GOT makes a final determination.  Evirgin said the GOT 
plans to inform MOI Jalali (through the PRT ESC) once PM 
Erdogan has made a decision. 
 
 
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April 14 PRT ESC MTG: NO DECISION ON TURKISH PROPOSALS 
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5. (C) Evirgen said that the Turkish delegation was not in 
Kabul on April 14 and therefore unable to attend the PRT ESC 
meeting.  He said he had learned from NATO SCR Cetin (who 
reportedly attended the meeting) that ESC did not reach any 
conclusions on Turkey's PRT proposals. 
 
 
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TURKS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE MIXED SIGNALS ON PRT PROPOSALS 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
 
6. (C) Evirgen said the Turkish delegation received a 
"different view from everyone:"  SHAPE appears to be steering 
Turkey toward Takhar; LTG Barno toward Baghlan; other ISAF 
officials in Kabul argued that SHAPE's Stage 1 requirements 
had been met and encouraged Turkey to establish a PRT in a 
region identified by SHAPE as a Stage 2 priority; and, unlike 
the German MFA and MOD officials who attended the Berlin 
donors conference at the end of March, German officials 
working in the German-led PRT in Konduz said they had the 
entire AOR "under control." 
 
 
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NEXT STEPS:  MFA/TGS RECOMMENDATION TO THE PM 
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7. (C) Evirgen outlined the following time-line for Turkish 
action on PRTs: 
 
 
--MFA and TGS will complete their reports this week on the 
recon visit to Afghanistan. 
--MFA and TGS (together) will recommend to PM Erdogan next 
week that Turkey establish a PRT in Takhar.  They will 
request a "special budget" to set up and sustain a 75-person 
PRT.  At this time, the MFA and TGS are not considering 
incorporating personnel from other countries into the PRT 
during its "initial stage." 
 
 
--The recommendation will include a request from the Turkish 
military for $1.5M to help cover some of the costs related to 
the Turkish offer to provide three utility helicopters to 
ISAF.  Evirgen said this did not mean that TGS had abandoned 
the idea of working out an arrangement with Luxembourg for 
the latter to finance the deployment of the helicopters. 
Rather, he suspected TGS was seeking funding from the PM in 
the event that Turkey and Luxembourg were not able to reach 
an acceptable arrangement, and the Turkish military needed to 
come up with the funds. 
 
 
--MFA/TGS will also inform the PM that NATO is "almost there" 
in deciding to send the HRF in Istanbul to Afghanistan in 
February 2005 to replace Euro corps.  Evirgen said he was 
surprised to learn during his visit to Kabul that the Turkish 
military had not yet informed the PM there was a good chance 
the HRF in Istanbul would be deployed to Afghanistan next 
year.  The MFA urged (and TGS reportedly has agreed) to brief 
the PM as part of the recommendation on PRTs. 
 
 
EDELMAN