US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4187

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 004187 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, ETRD, IZ, TU, SY, US 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: TURKS PLEASED WITH KORUTURK'S WASHINGTON 
CONSULTATIONS, URGE "PERSISTENCE" WITH SYRIA 
 
REF: A. STATE 129619 (NOTAL) 
     B. ANKARA 3844 
     C. STATE 133156 (NOTAL) 
 
Classified By: Counselor for Political-Military Affairs Timothy A. Bett 
s for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) On July 13, PolMilCouns and PolMilOff called on MFA 
Deputy Director General Safak Gokturk to get the Turkish 
assessment of the July 5-6 Washington visit of the GOT's 
Special Envoy for Iraq, Amb. Osman Koruturk (Gokturk 
accompanied Koruturk).  Gokturk characterized the meetings as 
positive and commented that Turkish-U.S. cooperation has now 
moved beyond mutual statements of principles to a new, 
"operational" stage.  He believed that the two sides will 
work more closely together in Iraq, especially on Sunni 
outreach (according to Koruturk himself, the key to the 
process--ref b).  The Turks perceived greater interest from 
the USG on Sunni outreach; Gokturk pointed to the Secretary's 
May 15 visit to Iraq as the first major manifestation of 
this.  He urged our embassies in Baghdad to cooperate closely 
in this effort. 
 
2. (C) Gokturk noted Koruturk's discussion with NEA A/S Welch 
(ref c), in which Koruturk related Turkey's experience with 
Syria in 1998.  According to Gokturk, Koruturk advised us to 
create a step-by-step mechanism to ensure Syrian cooperation, 
and to be "persistent and persevere" with the SARG. 
PolMilCouns responded that Turkey was only able to create 
such a mechanism after massing troops and tanks on the Syrian 
border, forcing Syria to change its actions (i.e., expel PKK 
leader Abdullah Ocalan); currently, international pressure 
has not yet produced a similar change in Syrian actions.  The 
Syrians well know what steps they need to take to decrease 
the pressure on them: Cease support for Iraqi former regime 
elements, cease interference and support for terrorism in 
Lebanon and the PA. 
 
3. (U) Iraq REOs minimize considered. 
MCELDOWNEY