US embassy cable - 02ANKARA9132

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 009132 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/26/2012 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT: OYMEN DENIES THAT CHP IS DISCOURAGING COOPERATION 
ON IRAQ 
 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador W. Robert Pearson, reason 1.5, 
b/d. 
 
 
1. (C) Former Turkish NATO Permrep and current MP from the 
opposition CHP 
Onur Oymen told Ambassador 12/26 that reports of CHP leader 
Deniz Baykal 
having proposed to PM Gul that one option for Turkey was to 
"do nothing" with 
US on Iraq were untrue.  Oymen said that the CHP is the 
opposition party and 
was obliged to play the role of the opposition party. 
According to Oymen, 
Baykal had pressed Gul on why the GOT had not made a decision 
about cooperating 
with the US on Iraq.  Certainly CHP, as the opposition party, 
could not say 
where it stood on an issue if the GOT was not willing/ready 
to take a position. 
After checking with Baykal, Oymen reiterated that CHP was not 
seeking to 
delay a GOT response. 
 
 
2. (C) Meanwhile, Oymen said the CHP had been emphasizing 
three points: 
(a) Turkey must work for peace if possible, inter alia 
because in eighty years of 
independence, TU had not invaded a neighbor, 
(b) any operation against Iraq must have international 
legitimacy, and 
(c) Turkey had to be prepared to deal with the threat of an 
Iraqi second strike, 
including missile defense and NATO Article 5 issues. 
 
 
3. (C) Oymen acknowledged that DepSecDef Wolfowitz had told 
the NAC that an attack 
on Turkey by Iraq would invoke Article 5, but NATO had not 
made such a decision or 
statement. Oymen closed by saying the US had many friends 
within the CHP who 
understand well the issues in the bilateral relationship and 
are interested in 
staying in close contact. 
 
 
4. (C) Comment: Whatever the CHP leadership might tell us 
privately, the party is 
allowing public reports that Baykal suggested to PM that 
Turkey should not 
participate in any US-led operation in Iraq to stand 
unchallenged and creating a 
perception that they stand with the majority of Turkish 
public opinion and against 
US Iraq policy. 
PEARSON