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