US embassy cable - 05ANKARA4658

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 004658 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2025 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, TU, PKK 
SUBJECT: TURKISH PM ON CYPRUS AND U.S. ACTION AGAINST PKK 
 
 
Classified By: (U) Charg Nancy McEldowney; reasons: E.O. 12958 1.4 (b,d 
). 
 
1. (S) Summary:  In an August 8 introductory call on Prime 
Minister Erdogan, Charge reviewed the goals Turkey and the 
U.S. share regarding a comprehensive Cyprus settlement and 
Turkey's EU accession bid.  Erdogan expressed frustration 
with the lack of concrete U.S. actions against the PKK 
in northern Iraq. Charge called on Turkey to work together with 
the U.S. to counter the PKK in ways that are currently 
feasible.  Discussion of trade issues and the 
Motorola-Telsim dispute reported septel.  End summary. 
 
 
Eye-to-Eye on Cyprus and EU Accession 
------------------------------------- 
 
2. (S) The Prime Minister voiced gratitude for the support 
President Bush demonstrated during their June meeting in 
Washington for easing the isolation of northern Cyprus and for 
achieving a comprehensive settlement under the Annan Plan. 
He lamented that the Greek Cypriot side continues to obstruct any 
movement toward a settlement and that UN Special Cyprus Rep 
Prendergast's recent visit had been fruitless.  Erdogan expressed 
appreciation for the current trip to northern Cyprus by a 
seven-member staff delegation from the U.S. Congress. 
He wondered aloud if there were any possibility of "TRNC 
President" Talat being invited to Washington, which he said 
would be a wake-up call for Greek Cypriots.  He also urged USG 
consideration of direct commercial flights to 
northern Cyprus. 
 
3. (S) Charge emphasized Washington's continuing commitment 
to a Cyprus settlement and its determination to ease the isolation of 
northern Cyprus.  She underscored US assistance to 
northern Cyprus via the Cyprus Partnership for Economic 
Growth (CyPEG) package, as well as support for academic exchanges and 
the visits of political and commercial delegations to the north. 
Charge congratulated Erdogan for his courage and vision in 
supporting a Cyprus settlement and in moving forward on the 
process of EU accession. 
 
4. (S) Erdogan recalled EU Enlargement Commissioner Ollie 
Rehn's recent statement to the effect that Ankara had kept 
its word on EU accession and now the EU should do the 
same.  Charge assured Erdogan that the U.S. would continue to 
talk with Europeans discretely to encourage their support 
for Turkey's EU membership bid. 
 
 
PKK: The Issue that Troubles Us Most 
------------------------------------ 
 
5.(S) Erdogan characterized the PKK as the issue "that 
troubles us most."  While granting that U.S. and coalition 
forces face formidable challenges in Iraq and have suffered large 
casualties, he stressed that over 100 Turkish citizens have 
also been killed in Iraq, many of them while transporting 
goods to American bases.  He said in this way Turkey is 
"almost like" a member of the coalition in Iraq. 
 
6.(S) Erdogan emphasized that Turkey expects the U.S. to take 
serious steps against the PKK in northern Iraq.  He dismissed 
Barzani and Talabani as having never kept a single 
promise. He complained that the Iraqi delegates were several 
days late to the trilateral talks held in Washington August 6, 
that the ITG obviously does not take the PKK issue 
seriously, and that no meaningful results came out of the 
trilats.  Erdogan said that a "different step" needs to be 
taken now, adding that the patience of the Turkish people is 
wearing thin. 
 
7.(S) The Charge empathized with the loss of Turkish lives as 
a result of PKK terrorism and noted steps the U.S. has taken 
to combat the PKK, including assistance with the arrest of 
Abdullah Ocalan, successfully pressing European countries to 
designate the PKK as a terrorist organization, and sharing 
intelligence with Turkey on PKK operations.  She 
outlined U.S. plans to work together with Turkey to urge 
European governments to take decisive steps to cut off sources of 
financing in their countries for the PKK.  She also 
noted US willingness to consider further bilateral 
cooperation inside Turkey, on border security and other measures. 
Charge applauded Erdogan's efforts to reach out to 
Turkey's Kurdish minority, including his meeting this week 
with 200 intellectuals and civil society representatives to discuss 
social and economic development priorities for Kurds and his 
trip to Diyarbakir on August 12. 
 
8.(S) Charge told Erdogan that when Ambassador Khalilzad met 
with Barzani recently he raised the PKK and highlighted the 
need for a unified position on fighting terrorists, 
including the PKK.  Charge added that the U.S. has encouraged 
the Iraqis to bolster cooperation with Turkey on several 
fronts and that the US would continue to facilitate 
trilateral talks.  She also noted the importance of the 
upcoming visit of Generals Abizaid and Jones to Ankara 
in September. 
 
9. (S) Charge commended Erdogan for Turkey's second 
leadership of ISAF in Afghanistan, which concluded last week, 
citing that as an indication of Turkey's commitment to 
fighting international terrorism.  Erdogan noted the loss 
since 1978 of 40,000 Turkish lives to the PKK and pointed 
to the increasing incidence of PKK attacks against urban 
centers and tourist areas.  He said that terrorism, whether 
PKK-related or from other sources, must be overcome through 
solidarity among nations. Charge emphasized that it 
is crucial that the PKK issue not be allowed to divide Turkey 
and the U.S. 
 
10. (S) Noting Washington's desire to renew and extend its 
partnership with Turkey, Charge suggested that the U.S. 
and Turkey consider ways to develop a shared strategic 
vision of how the two countries will move forward together 
as allies and friends.  She also delivered to Erdogan a 
letter from President Bush thanking him for his June visit 
to the White House. 
 
11. (S) Comment: Erdogan was relaxed and expansive throughout 
the hour long discussion.  He repeatedly noted his desire 
to work collaboratively with the United States and agreed 
that we should intensify our concrete cooperation in as 
many areas as possible.  While clearly expressing emotion 
on the PKK issue, he did not make the angry outburst that 
some of his close advisors had predicted.  However, he did 
make clear that the PKK was his top priority and that some 
movement from the United States to help solve this growing 
problem was essential--both for the bilateral relationship 
and for the long-term stability of the region.  Erdogan's 
upcoming meeting with civil society reps and his 
trip to Diyarbakir is part of a nascent AKP effort 
to develop a domestic policy to counter PKK 
efforts.  An AKP senior foreign policy advisor confided 
to Charge separately that the AKP was struggling to 
construct a "returns policy" that would avoid the 
domestic controversy inherent in an amnesty but that 
would nonetheless encourage rank and file 
members of the PKK to lay down their weapons and 
rejoin civil society.  However, as long as the PKK 
continues its attacks in tourist areas and 
enjoys unimpeded safe haven in northern Iraq, the 
government's capacity to explore innovative 
"return programs" will be severely constrained. 
There is only one issue on which this extremely 
polarized society agrees and that is the need for 
USG action-in some form-to blunt PKK attacks out of 
northern Iraq.  The next major milestone in this 
continuing debate will be the September 8-9 meeting 
in Ankara of General Jones and General Abizaid 
with Turkish CHOD Ozkok.  If that meeting ends in 
stalemate without some form of concrete agreement on 
next steps, the negative impact on our overall 
relationship will be significant.  End Comment. 
 
MCELDOWNEY