TURKEY: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH OPPOSITION CHP

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005963

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2013
TAGS: PREL PGOV TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY: AMBASSADOR'S MEETING WITH OPPOSITION CHP
LEADER BAYKAL


(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reason: 1.5 (b,d).



1. (C) Summary: In a Sept. 17 meeting with the Ambassador,
opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) chairman Deniz
Baykal said it will be difficult to support USG policy in
Iraq given the current ambiguous attitude of some Iraqis
toward Turkey. He also asserted that any new UNSC resolution
will have to explain how power will be handed over to Iraqi
civilians and provide guarantees of Iraqi territorial
integrity. Baykal denied his party is anti-American and
insisted CHP believes in strong U.S.-Turkey ties. End summary.


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"Uninviting Atmosphere" in Iraq
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2. (C) In a lengthy discussion that centered almost entirely
on Iraq, CHP leader Baykal claimed that the current
environment in Iraq makes it hard for Turkey to contribute
troops to a stabilization force. A subdued Baykal said that
public statements by some Kurds in N. Iraq and by the IGC
have created a "serious ambiguity" with regard to whether
Turkish support is wanted or not. Unspecified controversial
statements made by Barzani and Talabani are negatively
impacting Turkish public opinion, creating an "uninviting
atmosphere." Baykal also raised the presence of PKK/KADEK
militants, which he said limits Turkey's room for maneuver.
He said the great danger is that instability in Iraq will
grow and could spill over into other countries in the region.



3. (C) The Ambassador urged Baykal to look at the big
picture. Turkey should decide whether and how it can
contribute to the democratic process already underway. The
Ambassador explained the USG's commitment to fighting
terrorism, including the threat from PKK/KADEK.


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UNSC Resolution Might Help, or Not
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4. (C) Baykal -- who openly opposes USG Iraq policy
primarily, he said, because it lacks international legitimacy
-- did not say whether a new UNSC resolution would alter his
party's stance. He said that any UNSC resolution would have
to do two things: 1) provide a clear timetable for the
transfer of authority to Iraqi civilians; and 2) provide
clear guarantees of Iraqi territorial integrity. Baykal
underscored that the clarity of the timetable would be the
most important thing.


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CHP Shenanigans
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5. (C) The Ambassador noted USG's great disappointment with
CHP's inflammatory rhetoric. Baykal claimed CHP has been
very measured (sic) in its opposition to USG Iraq policy. He
said he personally made sure no CHP local or national
organization demonstrated against the U.S., despite pressure
from the grassroots. Baykal defended statements made by
former senior diplomats and current CHP M.P.s Onur Oymen and
Sukru Elekdag, saying "they are still friends of the U.S."
He suggested that the U.S. look at their statements from a
different -- though unspecified -- perspective. Baykal
stressed that CHP supports strong U.S.-Turkey ties but hopes
the U.S. will be sensitive to the party's concerns.


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Comment
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7. (C) Baykal received the Ambassador without any other CHP
officials present. This probably reflects Baykal's desire to
control the flow of information to the press and within his
party. Moreover, with his party lagging in the polls and
rumblings of discontent in the ranks, Baykal probably did not
want anyone to see him 'soft' on the U.S. privately, while
forcefully criticizing the U.S. publicly. Baykal's attempt
to portray the CHP's public stance on Iraq as something other
than anti-American demagoguery is pure fiction.
EDELMAN