US embassy cable - 04ANKARA5836

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005836 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2014 
TAGS: PREL, MOPS, TU, IZ, AF 
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA ON ISAF VII COMMAND, ISAF/OEF MERGER, 
TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN NATO TRAINING MISSION-IRAQ 
 
REF: ANKARA 4554 
 
Classified By: DCM Robert S. Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) PolMilOff called on MFA Head of Department for NATO 
Alper Coskun Oct. 8 to follow up on outstanding issues.  On 
Turkey's command of ISAF VII starting in Feb. 2005, Coskun 
reported that planning remains on track, and that Turkey is 
waiting for the results of a NATO force generation meeting in 
November before deciding whether to offer a Corps HQ, a Corps 
HQ plus one battalion, or a Corps HQ plus two battalions 
(reftel).  On Turkey's desire for NATO Common Funding for its 
deployment, Coskun said the GOT will seek the "maximum 
possible," and will carefully study what EUROCORPS gets. 
However, Coskun said (adding "Please don't tell TGS I'm 
telling you this"), Turkey is prepared to pay whatever is 
necessary out of its own budget once the Common Funding issue 
is decided. 
 
2. (C) PolMilOff inquired as to Turkey's thinking regarding 
combining OEF and ISAF under a unified command.  In response, 
Coskun read from the final version of the speech he had 
drafted for Minister of Defense Gonul for the Romania 
informal ministerial.  Any such decision, he read, would make 
sense militarily.  However, it would also have to take into 
account "the distinct nature of both operations" and "the 
view of the Afghans themselves."  Coskun was anxious to say 
that the GOT did not oppose the merger, but that it would 
seek to proceed carefully before agreeing to this move. 
Coskun confirmed that the Germans were "dead-set against" 
this proposal, and was skeptical that we would be able to 
turn them around. 
 
3. (C) Finally, we asked whether Turkey was contemplating 
sending its own personnel to Iraq to take part in NATO 
Training Mission-Iraq.  Coskun responded that the GOT was 
considering this issue at a senior level, and was concerned 
about both domestic and Iraqi sensitivities regarding the 
presence of Turkish troops on Iraqi soil for the mission.  He 
added that Turkey was already offering a number of training 
courses under the umbrella of its PfP Training Center for the 
Iraqis, including a course in November in Ankara.  PolMilOff 
responded that we understood that the IIG had assented to 
(indeed, had sought) this mission, and that it had presumably 
done so in full knowledge that all NATO members would be 
invited to participate.  Coskun replied that he assumed this 
was the case, but appreciated hearing it from us. 
 
4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
EDELMAN