US embassy cable - 04ANKARA2589

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 002589 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR NEA, EUR/SE, PM AND EAP. BAGHDAD ALSO FOR CJTF-7 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, MOPS, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TGS OPEN TO SUPPORTING OTHER COUNTRIES' 
ROTATION OF TROOPS 
 
 
(U) Classified by Political-Military Affairs Counselor 
Timothy A. Betts.  Reasons:  1.5 (B and D). 
 
 
1. (C) Summary:  Seoul is exploring the possibility of 
deploying its troops to Iraq through Turkey.  The Turkish 
military is supportive, but has encouraged the Koreans to 
seek a political decision from the GOT before planning on 
transiting Turkey.  If the ROK pursues this route, we expect 
the Turks to be helpful although, as we found early last 
year, obviously military equipment traveling overland to Iraq 
may not be possible.  End summary. 
 
 
2. (C) During a recent meeting on an unrelated issue, Turkish 
General Staff (TGS) Agreements Branch Chief Col. Karacoban 
told deputy pol-mil counselor that South Korea was interested 
in using Turkish bases to deploy its troops to Iraq, assuming 
the ROK made a political decision to contribute troops there. 
 Karacoban said if South Korea decides to deploy troops to 
either Irbil or Sulaymaniyah in northern Iraq, it "has little 
choice but to go through Turkey."   He added the Koreans were 
"pressing" TGS for detailed information regarding the 
availability and capability of specific Turkish bases and 
ports.  According to preliminary informal discussions, the 
South Korean military is interested in using military airlift 
to transport its troops from South Korean to northern Iraq 
via Turkey, and possibly sealift to transport initial heavy 
supplies/equipment to the Turkish port of Iskenderun.  The 
South Koreans would then transport heavy supplies overland 
via Turkey to northern Iraq. 
 
 
3. (C) Karacoban stressed that TGS had not taken a formal 
position on whether to assist South Korea.  While he 
personally saw no reason not to allow the Koreans to use 
Turkish air bases to deploy troops to Iraq, Karacoban said 
the decision was not his nor TGS's.  "It is up to the 
politicians."  Karacoban said TGS intends to inform the South 
Korean military that it will not discuss further any request 
until it had "authorization" from Turkish "political 
authorities," and that all further inquiries should be 
directed to the Turkish MFA. 
 
 
4. (C) On a related matter, Karacoban said TGS was 
facilitating the rotation of Hungarian troops to Iraq.  TGS 
and Hungarian military officials were discussing whether to 
use Incirlik Air Base or a military base in Ankara to allow 
Hungarian troops to RON en route to Iraq.  Karacoban 
understood that Hungary intended to deploy around 350 troops 
to Iraq, 30 at a time.  The Hungarians prefer Incirlik, but 
TGS intends to steer them toward Ankara due to the greater 
availability of quality sleeping accommodations. 
 
 
5. (C) Deputy pol-mil counselor encouraged TGS to "get the 
word out" that Turkey was assisting coalition members other 
than the US to contribute to the GWOT and stabilization 
efforts in Iraq.  Karacoban said TGS was reluctant to make 
such efforts public for fear that "others" would criticize 
the military for allowing countries to make use of Turkish 
soil for "Iraq operations."  Deputy pol-mil counselor 
responded that TGS and other official Turks, at a minimum, 
should share with US and other Allies Turkey's positive 
contributions. 
 
 
6. (C) Comment:  It is not surprising that TGS (at least at 
the staff officer level) is willing to facilitate the 
rotation of others' troops to Iraq.  TGS backed the GOT's 
December 2003 decision to allow the US military to rotate US 
personnel out of Iraq -- a decision the GOT views as 
consistent with UNSCR 1483 and the Council of Ministers June 
2003 decision to support stabilization and reconstruction 
efforts in Iraq.  It is less surprising that TGS is not 
willing to enter into formal discussions with South Korea 
without authorization from Turkish political authorities. 
Given TGS's experiences with the discussions with US military 
authorities prior to commencement of operations in Iraq 
(where it was criticized for getting out in front of the 
politicians), TGS is unlikely to authorize other countries' 
use of Turkish bases, ports or territory without appropriate 
political backing.  If South Korean submit a formal request 
to use Turkish air bases to rotate their troops to Iraq, we 
suspect the GOT (including TGS) will respond positively. 
Requests to use Turkish territory to transport troops or 
equipment overland to Iraq are another matter.  Given the 
overwhelming negative political reaction in February 2003 to 
the possibility that US forces would pass overland through 
Turkey to Iraq, we doubt whether the GOT would allow South 
Koreans to move obviously military equipment overland to 
Iraq.  Sustainment supplies might be permitted to go 
overland, but would add to the congestion at Turkey's lone 
border crossing to Iraq. 
 
 
7.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN