TURKISH PARLIAMENT APPROVES TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006303 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2013 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS TU IZ SUBJECT: TURKISH PARLIAMENT APPROVES TROOP DEPLOYMENT TO IRAQ REF: A. ANKARA 6272 ¶B. ANKARA 6281 (U) Classified by DCM Robert Deutsch, E.O. 12958, reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Turkey's Parliament approved sending troops to Iraq on October 7 by a comfortable majority, 358 for, 183 against, 2 abstentions. The opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) unsuccessfully tried to thwart approval by a last-minute assertion, quickly refuted by Foreign Minister Gul, that the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) had passed a resolution expressing opposition to Turkish troops. However, crucial details still need to be worked out with the GOT and Turkish doubts about the Iraqi public's acceptance of troops will need to be addressed. End Summary. A Slam-Dunk Approval for AK ¶2. (U) The ruling AK Party got over 80 votes more than it needed to pass the resolution granting the GOT permission to contribute troops to the Iraq Stabilization Force. AK parliamentary management, including an open vote witnessed personally by PM Erdogan five days before the AK party congress, appeared designed to ensure a slam-dunk vote for approval and avoid a repeat of March 1. Post has e-mailed the complete text of the motion to EUR/SE. Turkish Concerns About IGC Disapproval ¶3. (C) Before the vote, MFA U/S Baki Ilkin called DCM about mistaken reports on Turkish television that the IGC had voted and unanimously rejected the sending of Turkish troops to Iraq. Ilkin said these types of reports would hamper GOT efforts to move forward on the deployment. While Ilkin understood the facts -- individual statements spun as ICG opinion -- he said Turkish public opinion would be affected. Ilkin asked that the USG take action to counteract the impression that the IGC opposed Turkish troops in Iraq. ¶4. (C) According to AK parliamentarian Ibrahim Ozal, during the parliamentary debate, opposition CHP leader Deniz Baykal claimed that the IGC had passed a resolution opposing Turkish troops in Iraq. AK FM Abdullah Gul quickly took the floor and refuted Baykal's assertion. Ozal calculated that five AK parliamentarians voted against the motion (Turkish press reports indicated nine defections). ¶5. (C) Comment: The Parliament's approval, in the face of continuing opposition from the public, President Sezer, and parts of the traditional elite, demonstrates political leadership by the PM and FM to contribute to a new Iraq and to shore up U.S.-Turkey relations. As we move forward, they will want to demonstrate the benefits, since they know there will be clear costs. Some of that effort will be evident as we try to work out the details of timing, troop numbers, location, and costs -- all of which were omitted from the resolution -- as well as Turkey's fuller role in the coalition. We will also have to help address lingering Turkish doubts about acceptance of their troops by the Iraqi public. End Comment. ¶6. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN