Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
02ANKARA9132
2002-12-27 06:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

OYMEN DENIES THAT CHP IS DISCOURAGING COOPERATION

Tags:  PREL MARR TU IZ 
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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.


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