US embassy cable - 05ANKARA5841

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 005841 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/22/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, MNUC, TU, US, EU, IR, IZ, SY, IS, PA 
SUBJECT: APNSA HADLEY'S MEETING WITH NSC SECRETARY GENERAL 
ALPOGAN 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Nancy McEldowney, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  SUMMARY: In a one-hour meeting with APSNA Hadley on 
September 23, National Security Council Secretary General 
Yigit Alpogan spoke of the importance of opening new channels 
of dialogue to enhance the U.S.-Turkish relationship.  The 
GOT appreciates U.S. support with the accession process, but 
what will happen next is up in the air.  The image of the 
U.S. in Turkey would soar if the U.S. hands over several PKK 
leaders as the Turkish public has concluded that the U.S. is 
not fighting the PKK.  The GOT is concerned with the fate of 
the Turkomen in Iraq and asserts that there is no influence 
on Iraqi Shiites from Iran.  If the U.S. wants Turkey to be a 
tangible presence in Central Asia, Turkey will need U.S. 
backing.  The GOT has not been able to assess the 
administration of Iran yet and any non-peaceful use of 
Iranian nuclear power would not be tolerated. END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C)  SecGen Alpogan opened by stating that the 
U.S.-Turkish relationship is a strategic relationship in 
which respect for human rights, rule of law, freedom and 
democracy are the cornerstones.  He commented that the U.S. 
and Turkey must go beyond bilateral relations and look 
together to Southeast Europe (the Balkans), the Eastern 
Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Caucuses, and Central Asia. 
 Syria, Iran, Iraq and maybe Lebanon were areas that 
U.S.-Turkish cooperation "might be fruitful." 
 
3.  (C)  Alpogan said that a high-level civilian strategy 
group, using the current military group as a model, would be 
a way to "fill in the gaps" of this "rich menu" of 
international concerns, and that Turkey is ready to 
participate.  Hadley agreed that there is a need to 
institutionalize and regularize U.S.-Turkish discussions on 
all levels, noting that there needs to be a common frame of 
reference.  Alpogan stated that more channels of 
communication need to be opened.  On this point, Hadley 
invited Alpogan to Washington to further discussions. 
 
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The European Union 
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4.  (C)  Alpogan thanked the U.S. for its behind the scenes 
support for Turkey's bid for EU accession.  He stated that 
Turkey is unhappy at this stage of the process and that 
Turkey "did not merit the counter-declaration."  Alpogan 
bitingly remarked that 600,000 people (Cyprus) have taken 450 
million people hostage and "they are dictating to everyone 
else."  He stated that U.S. efforts are valuable to reaching 
the October 3rd goal, but said that he was not really sure 
what might happen in the meantime. 
 
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Iraq, the PKK, and the Turkomen 
-------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C)  Turning to Iraq, Alpogan expressed that Turkey wants 
a sovereign, independent, unified and united Iraq. 
Dismemberment of Iraq would be a catastrophe which might make 
for a realigned Middle East.  Alpogan stated that while the 
Kurdish and Sunni nationalism elements are problems, the 
Shiite element is the most dangerous due to the interest of 
Iran, Bahrain, Kuwait and the petrol-producing provinces of 
eastern Saudi Arabia. 
 
6.  (C)  Though Alpogan said he did not want to dwell on the 
issue, he noted that the image of the U.S. in Turkey is 
directly linked to the PKK issue.  The Turkish public 
perceives that the U.S. is not acting on the PKK problem and 
Alpogan stated that "something has to be done."  The GOT is 
working hand-in-hand with the U.S. in the fight against 
terrorism, but wonders why the U.S. is not fighting the PKK 
after deeming it a terrorist group.  Alpogan opined that the 
prestige of the U.S. would skyrocket with the handing over of 
a few PKK leaders, as it did when the U.S. returned PKK 
leader Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey.  The factions provoking the 
Turkish public against the U.S. would also be dealt a blow. 
 
7.  (C)  The Turks are watching developments in Kirkuk, Mosul 
and Talafar (three Turkomen cities) with keen interest. 
Alpogan stated that the GOT was disappointed that Article 53, 
maintaining Kirkuk's autonomous status, was not included in 
the Iraqi constitution.  If there is Kurdish governance in 
Northern Iraq, the GOT will be "disturbed," according to 
Alpogan.  He further stated that if Kirkuk goes, Iraq will 
not stay together, so Kirkuk's special status must be 
maintained "at all costs."  Alpogan asserted that the 
Turkomen population is between 8-10 percent in Iraq and that 
the Turkomen are "always in our minds."  (Comment:  Many 
western experts believe that Turkomen comprise less than one 
or two percent of the population in Iraq.  End Comment.) 
 
8.  (C)  Hadley agreed that Alpogan's points were good and 
that they further underline the need for a strong government 
in Iraq.  He said that the new government in December would 
have to address these points. 
 
9.  (C)  Alpogan added that as long as the ideological shift 
between the Majlis Taklit and the Velayiti Fikr continues, 
there will be no influence from Iran on the Shiites of Iraq. 
Hadley expressed that the U.S. view is the same and that the 
U.S. has been surprised at the level of concern of 
neighboring Shiite nations looking at Iranian influence in 
Iraq.  Former Turkish Ambassador to Iran, Selahattin Alpar 
interjected that when and how the U.S. leaves Iraq is 
important and not to underestimate the brigades that were 
trained in Iran. 
 
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Turkey in Central Asia 
------------------------ 
 
10.  (C)  Alpogan was the Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan. 
 Turkey and the countries in Central Asia have religious, 
ethnic and historical ties to the area.  The Turkish private 
sector has invested 15 billion USD and have rebuilt 
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and to a lesser extent 
Uzbekistan.  Alpogan admitted, however, that if the U.S. was 
looking to Turkey to be a tangible presence in the region 
that it would need U.S. backing.  He also admitted that 
Turkey's approach in the Ozal era of being "the big brother" 
was not right and that "we learned our lesson." 
 
11.  (C)  Hadley stated that the U.S. and Turkey share a 
common interest to spread common values and democracy in 
Central Asia.  The U.S. sees Turkey's role in the region as 
an inspiration, not a model.  He noted that Russia sees the 
U.S. as trying to keep it out of the region, but that the 
U.S. objective, like Turkey's, is to spread freedom and 
democracy. 
 
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Iran 
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12.  (C)  On Iran, Alpogan stated that the basic tenet is 
that Iran is Turkey's neighbor.  To date, the GOT has been 
treating Iran carefully.  Alpogan stated that Iran hasn't 
"opened their cards yet" and that no one yet knows what kind 
of administration Iran has.  He asserted that the Iranian 
people are more interested in a better standard of living now 
and that the Iranian president was only elected because the 
public was tired of following reformers.  The GOT supports 
Iran's nuclear ambition for peaceful means, but anything more 
will not be tolerated. 
 
13.  (C)  Alpogan stated that Iran wants to pipe its natural 
gas to Europe through Turkey.  He said that there is pressure 
from both Iran and Europe, but that the GOT knows how the 
U.S. feels. 
 
14.  (C)  Hadley asked how the U.S. and Turkey can keep the 
people of Iran's aspirations for more freedom alive without 
empowering the current regime with claims of U.S. 
interference. Alpogan noted with a smile that the current 
Iranian minister of foreign affairs and his deputy were 
nearly declared persona non grata when they were posted in 
Turkey, which shows that "life is not so easy for us (Turkey) 
now."  Amb Alpar noted that the only thing that changed in 
the Iranian government was its president - the parliament and 
religious leadership are the same.  In response to Hadley's 
question of keeping aspirations alive, Alpar noted that the 
younger generation wants more freedom, but he is not sure 
that they will be able to achieve it. 
MCELDOWNEY