US embassy cable - 05ANKARA611

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2015 
TAGS: MOPS, MARR, PREL, PTER, TU, IZ, AF 
SUBJECT: USDP FEITH'S FEB. 1 MEETING WITH TURKISH NSC 
SECRETARY-GENERAL ALPOGAN 
 
SIPDIS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) During their Feb. 1 meeting in Ankara, Under Secretary 
of Defense for Policy Doug Feith and Turkish National 
Security Council Secretary-General Amb. Yigit Alpogan 
discussed the following issues: 
 
2. (C) Iraq: 
 
Alpogan analyzed the elections: 
 
--"More or less successful." 
--60% turnout hurts insurgents, as they are now fighting an 
elected government, not an invading force. 
--Sunni Arab turnout 9%; Shias and Kurds will need to share 
power with Sunnis in ITG and drafting constitution. 
--Iraqi Shias are Arabs and will not follow Iran; Sistani and 
his mentors opposed Khomeini.  Iraqi Shias want their own 
chance to run Iraq. 
--U.S. and Turkey share goal of united Iraq.  If Kurds try to 
pull Kirkuk into Kurdistan, Iraq could disintegrate; thus we 
must work together on Kirkuk issue so that Kirkuk retains a 
"special status.".  Recent statements by Barzani and Talabani 
"are not helpful." 
 
--USDP Feith responded that we shared Alpogan's strategic 
point that Iraq must remain unified. 
 
3. (C) Afghanistan: 
 
--USDP Feith expressed U.S. appreciation for Turkey's role in 
Afghanistan, including its taking over command of ISAF VII 
this month. 
 
--USDP Feith cited Karzai's continuing success in 
consolidating his authority and defeating the warlords; both 
Feith and Alpogan agreed Dostum remained a problem. 
 
--Alpogan said Turkey shared USDP Feith's optimism and would 
continue to work with us to bring stability to the country. 
 
4. (C) NATO: 
 
USDP Feith urged Turkey to work within NATO so that: 
 
--Alliance's capabilities meet our commitments, 
--Allies will not forbid officers in NATO billets from 
participating in NAC-approved ops, 
--Allies place as few caveats as possible on troops in NATO 
ops. 
 
Alpogan asked if the U.S. had any specific force generation 
request of Turkey in this regard; Feith responded that Turkey 
is not a problem, but may be part of a solution, especially 
in terms of providing a PRT (Alpogan did not respond to this). 
 
5. (C) PSI: 
 
Feith welcomed active Turkish participation in PSI, and 
encouraged Turkey to consider taking the lead on a PSI Black 
Sea exercise.  He outlined the practical, 
non-institutionalized, decentralized nature of PSI.  Alpogan 
said NSC has not studied the issue to date but would take it 
up.  TU MFA rep reminded us that our refusal to support 
Turkey's Core Group membership had held back Turkish 
participation.  Feith explained that PSI is an 
action-oriented initiative; the real action is in the 
Operational Experts Working Group. 
 
6. (C) Common Security Assessment: 
 
Feith asked Turkey to be one of our first allies to 
participate in a new Common Global Security Assessment 
initiative, in which U.S. friends and allies would come 
together with us bilaterally to analyze common global 
security problems to seek a common perspective.  Alpogan 
responded that Turkey would be interested, but as the 
discussion would include the GWOT it would--from Turkey's 
perspective--also need to include PKK/Kongra-Gel since the 
group presents a serious threat to Turkey. 
 
7. (U) USDP Feith cleared this cable. 
 
8. (U) Iraq posts minimize considered. 
EDELMAN