US embassy cable - 04ANKARA4269

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/29/2009 
TAGS: MOPS, PREL, TU, YI 
SUBJECT: KFOR: TURKEY NOT LIKELY TO LIFT CURRENT CAVEATS, 
BUT WILL RECONSIDER 
 
REF: A. STATE 162868 
 
     B. PRISTINA 951 
 
Classified By: A/DCM Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) On July 30, PolMilOff called on Alper Coskun, MFA 
Director for NATO and Euro-Atlantic Defense and Security 
Affairs, to deliver ref a demarche.  Coskun responded that 
after the March violence in Kosovo, Turkey revised its 
caveats for both SFOR and KFOR in an effort to be more 
effective and helpful.  He read aloud the new caveat, which 
matches almost verbatim our understanding of Turkey's latest 
position noted ref b.  He added that most Turkish troops are 
not trained in crowd and riot control (CRC), and that CRC 
could be a particularly sensitive area for Turkey in this 
region.  He asked rhetorically: "What would the response be 
if we had to subdue a Serbian crowd, or even an Albanian one?" 
 
2. (C) Nevertheless, Coskun emphasized, Turkey has its troops 
in KFOR and SFOR not as a showcase but "to be useful." 
Though he did not believe the GOT was ready to revise its 
caveats again, he said it would consider our request.  He 
added that it was certain that the GOT would not lift the 
caveat on Turkish troops in KFOR operating outside of Kosovo, 
but that out-of-sector ops within Kosovo were permitted. 
 
3. (C/NF) Comment: We have picked up some information 
informally from the Turkish General Staff (TGS) that the 
Turks may be considering further revision of their caveats. 
We will follow up at TGS in the coming days.  End comment. 
DEUTSCH