SENATOR LUGAR DISCUSSES TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 005436

SIPDIS


STATE FOR NEA, PM, EUR/SE
NSC FOR BRYZA
JCS FOR J5


E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/25/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS PTER IS TU IZ
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR DISCUSSES TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN
IRAQ, US-TU RELATIONSHIP WITH GOT


Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, Reason 1.5 (b,d)



1. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.



2. (C) Summary: Senator Lugar reaffirmed to the GOT on
August 20 the importance of the longstanding U.S.-Turkish
relationship. In meetings with the Ministers of Foreign
Affairs, Justice, and Defense, as well as the Chief of TGS,
Lugar emphasized that the U.S. would not abandon the
reconstruction efforts in Iraq, and hoped that the U.S. and
Turkey could work together in this endeavor. Although the
U.S. would welcome Turkey's participation in the
stabilization force, he said, this decision must be made by
Turkey based on its own national interests. Lugar's
interlocutors noted that the government was currently
deliberating whether to contribute troops, and hoped that a
decision would be made soon. Lugar and the DCM emphasized
that the U.S. was committed to fighting all terrorism,
including the PKK/Kadek's use of northern Iraq as a safe
haven. The Justice Minister raised the annual Armenian
"genocide" resolution; Lugar responded that he had worked
successfully to block this resolution, but it would help if
Turkey and Armenia resolved their border disputes. End
summary.



3. (U) Senator Lugar, accompanied by SFRC staff members and
the DCM, called on Foreign Minister Gul, Defense Minister
Gonul, Turkish General Staff (TGS) CHOD General Ozkok, and
Justice Minister Cicek in a full day of meetings in Ankara on
August 20.


Meeting with Foreign Minister Gul
--------------



4. (C) Gul opened the meeting with Lugar by stating that
Turkey could not live in peace if there was a mess in
neighboring Iraq. He said the GOT was proceeding cautiously
but thoroughly in its deliberations whether to contribute
troops to the Iraq stabilization force. The hope was that
the decision would be taken soon; in the meantime,
2,000-3,000 Turkish trucks were supplying U.S. forces and
civilians in Iraq. Gul noted the GOT had invited the Iraqi
team working on a draft constitution to Ankara the week of
Aug. 25.



5. (C) Gul said Turkey regretted the unhelpful anti-Turkish
statements of PUK leader Talabani. Turkey had no territorial
claims that could provoke such statements; Turkish troops in
the north were invited by Talabani and Barzani and would be
withdrawn when there was no longer any threat to Turkey.
Thus, Gul said, the Kurds in Iraq should focus their efforts
on maintaining Iraq's territorial integrity by participating
in efforts to strengthen the central governing authority.



6. (C) Lugar responded that any GOT decision on participating
in stabilization must be based on calculations of national
interest. The U.S. did not want to intrude in the
approaching public and parliamentary discussion. Lugar said
the U.S. could not leave Iraq reconstruction efforts
unfinished. Thus, the U.S. hoped that the U.S. and Turkey
would be working together as partners in the stabilization
force. Lugar said the U.S. appreciated Turkey's agreement to
send a search and rescue team to help recovery efforts at the
UN headquarters in Baghdad. He noted that Turkey could be
especially helpful in the drafting of the new Iraqi
constitution, given the complexities of Iraq.



7. (C) Gul underscored Turkey's bitter, long-term experience
battling against terrorism and the price Turkey paid in
combating the PKK. Our terrorists are your terrorists, he
said. Lugar and the DCM emphasized U.S. agreement with this
view, adding that the USG had made a commitment to help bring
an end to the PKK/Kadek's use of northern Iraq as a safe
haven. Turning to the Middle East, Gul noted that Turkey
enjoyed good relations with both Israel and the Palestinians,
and would urge both sides to implement the Road Map. Lugar
applauded Turkey's approach.



8. (C) In response to Lugar's reiteration of vigorous U.S.
support for Turkey's EU candidacy and at the same time the
importance of solving the Cyprus question (and of holding
free and fair elections in the north in December),Gul
expressed appreciation for U.S. support on the EU. With
passage of numerous reform packages, Gul said, Turkey had
fulfilled the Copenhagen criteria and now would show it could
implement the reforms. The EU targets and timetable were a
useful stimulus, but the GOT was passing these reforms for
Turkey's sake, not merely to respond to the EU. If EU
leaders set a date for negotiations at the December 2004 EU
summit, it would also be good for Europe, since Turkey's
membership would enrich Europe.


Meeting with Defense Minister Gul
--------------



9. (C) In his meeting with Minister of National Defense
Gonul, Lugar emphasized that he had come to Turkey to
reaffirm the longstanding U.S.-Turkey relationship, which,
despite recent ups and downs, he still believed was on solid
footing. Lugar noted that as fellow parliamentarians they
should both provide leadership in getting the relationship
back on track. Gonul agreed that, in general, the countries
remained on the "same course." Lugar was pleased to hear
that a delegation from the Iraqi Governing Council would be
visiting Ankara, and he encouraged Turkey to lend its
expertise as a Muslim democracy to the Iraqis. Gonul agreed
that a constitution based on Turkey,s secular underpinnings
would help Iraq avoid some of the problems Pakistan was
facing.



10. (C) Lugar lamented the acts of sabotage on Iraqi
pipelines, noting how desperately the Iraqis needed the oil
revenue. He added that stability in Iraq was also necessary
to encourage foreign investment and provide jobs and revenue
beyond just oil. Lugar urged the GOT to help the U.S.
reestablish stability in Iraq and enjoy the economic benefits
of having a stable neighbor. Gonul said that Turkey needed
to recommence the trade it enjoyed with Iraq before the Gulf
War, but added that a culture of "rule of law" was important
to attracting foreign investment and realizing this goal. In
addition, Iraqis had been living under a dictatorship for a
half-century, but they were an intellectual people from whom
the first civilization emanated and they would adapt. Gonul
said the GOT was working hard on the details of a deployment
to the stabilization force, but when those were worked out,
he was optimistic the Prime Minister would give the effort
his "full support."


Meeting with Chief of TGS Ozkok
--------------



11. (C) Lugar reiterated to Chief of TGS GEN Ozkok that he
had come to Turkey to help ensure the U.S.-TU relationship
was on track. Ozkok noted his appreciation for the successes
of the Global War on Terrorism but added that the previous
day,s attack on the UN HQ in Baghdad proved that no one was
immune from terrorist attacks. Lugar said the U.S. was
committed to making Iraq and Afghanistan stable and would
continue to work until stability was achieved. Ozkok was
optimistic that the situation in Iraq would improve, despite
the tough issues that remained; the main goal in the short
term should be to show people at least some improvement in
their lives since the Saddam regime. Ozkok and Lugar agreed
that the international face of the stabilization force was
positive; Ozkok noted in particular the participation of
former Soviet republics would be a "test" of the PfP program.
He opined that a presidential vice parliamentary system
might work better in Iraq after so long a dictatorship, and
Lugar encouraged Turkey to share its expertise with Iraq.
Ozkok told Lugar that the GOT was assessing the situation for
a Turkish deployment to Iraq and was looking forward to
face-to-face talks on the details of Jones-Ozkok letter he
had received.


Meeting with Justice Minister Cicek
--------------



12. (C) Lugar asked Justice Minister Cicek what the USG could
do to improve the image of the U.S. in the eyes of the
Turkish public. As democracies, Turkey and the U.S. must
take public opinion into account, and it was therefore in
their mutual interest to project a positive image, Lugar
said. Cicek acknowledged that Turkish-U.S. disagreements
relating to the war in Iraq had stoked anti-American
sentiment. Turks were deeply offended by American press
commentary and political cartoons in the run-up to the war.
The GOT appreciated U.S. economic support, Cicek said, but
the US government should not assume that this support
guaranteed Turkey,s unlimited, unconditional allegiance.
Cicek said the GOT was also "disturbed" that in northern Iraq
the USG chose to side with "two clan leaders" (referring to
KDP leader Barzani and PUK leader Talabani) rather than
Turkey, despite 57 years of U.S.-Turkish alliance and
friendship. Lugar said the USG had taken lessons from the
Iraq crisis. He opined that the U.S. had not been sensitive
enough to the economic sacrifices made by Turkey in the first
Gulf War, and had to understand that Turkey would make
decisions based on its own national interests.



13. (C) Cicek raised the annual U.S. congressional resolution
on the Armenian "genocide," calling it a chronic irritant for
Turkey. Congress should either approve it or reject it once
and for all, rather than review it every year, he argued.
Lugar noted that he had worked, successfully so far, to block
the resolution. He said he hoped Turkey and Armenia would
resolve their border disputes, and that such an agreement
would put an end to the annual resolution debate.



14. (U) Lugar expressed appreciation on behalf of the USG for
Cicek,s assistance in handling child abduction cases under
the Hague Convention on Child Abduction. Cicek said there
had been problems in "one or two" abduction cases. At the
urging of Ambassador Pearson, he said, he had followed
closely these cases in the court system, and was always ready
to help expedite abduction cases whenever appropriate.



15. (U) Senator Lugar did not have the opportunity to clear
this cable.
EDELMAN