Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ANKARA6424
2003-10-15 07:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

CODEL MCCONNEL'S OCTOBER 10 MEETINGS WITH PM

Tags:  PREL MARR MOPS TU IZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006424 

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCONNEL'S OCTOBER 10 MEETINGS WITH PM
ERDOGAN AND TGS COS GEN OZKOK

REF: A) ANKARA 6238 AND PREVIOUS


(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reasons: 1.5 (B
and D).


(U) Baghdad minimize considered.


C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006424

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013
TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS TU IZ
SUBJECT: CODEL MCCONNEL'S OCTOBER 10 MEETINGS WITH PM
ERDOGAN AND TGS COS GEN OZKOK

REF: A) ANKARA 6238 AND PREVIOUS


(U) Classified by Ambassador Eric Edelman. Reasons: 1.5 (B
and D).


(U) Baghdad minimize considered.



1. (C) Summary: PM Erdogan told visiting Codel McConell
October 10 that elements within Turkey and Iraq were making
"ugly" statements about the possible deployment of Turkish
troops to Iraq as part of the stabilization force there.
Erdogan said he was not familiar with the details of the
discussions on a location for a Turkish deployment, but
believed that Salahaddin region would be Turkey,s first
choice. The MFA and TGS will make a recommendation and the
GOT will make the final decision. In a separate meeting, TGS
Chief GEN Ozkok said a Turkish contribution was intended to
help create the conditions under which others could carry out
humanitarian and development assistance. Turkey's own
experience in building a republic might enable Turkey to
assist in the nation-building process in Iraq. Erdogan said
that Syria under President al-Assad was moving towards
democratization and argued that Turkey and Syria had overcome
their past differences. Erdogan said Turkey would like to
open its border with ARMENIA, but ARMENIA must first
recognize the existing borders. Ozkok professed no objection
to improved Turkey-ARMENIA relations if Yerevan abandoned its
position on "genocide." Ozkok appealed for help in
facilitating technology transfer from the US to Turkey, and
in project approvals in the defense industry area. End
summary.



2. (U) Senator McConnell, accompanied by Senators Burns,
Craig, Thomas and Chafee, met with Prime Minister Erdogan and
Chief of the Turkish General Staff GEN Ozkok (separately)
October 10. Ambassador and other members of the country team
accompanied the Codel to both meetings.


--------------
Terrorism and Iraq
--------------



3. (U) Erdogan said that elements within Iraq and Turkey were
making "ugly" statements about the deployment of Turkish
troops to Iraq. KDP leader Barzani's representative in
Ankara recently made statements that disturbed Turkey. &How

can someone who represents a tribe, not even a state, make
such statements without drawing any reaction from the U.S.?8
Erdogan said the US must help build public support for
deployment. Erdogan professed that he was not familiar with
the details of the discussions on the possible location of
Turkish troops in Iraq, but believed the Salahaddin region
would be Turkey,s first choice, with Al Anbar as a possible
alternative. The MFA and TGS would make a recommendation and
then the GOT will make a final decision.



4. (C) In response to a question, Erdogan said he did not
know if Al-Qaeda was active in the region. But PKK/KADEK
remains active in northern Iraq. Erdogan called on the U.S.
to take action against the PKK/KADEK: &It,s not enough to
put an organization on a terrorism list.8



5. (C) After extolling the importance of congressional
visits to TGS, GEN Ozkok noted that in the face of new
threats and challenges, US and Turkey were "indispensable
partners." The US and Turkey agreed on the need to need to
eliminate terrorism from Iraq. Ozkok explained Turkey's
18-year struggle against the PKK/KADEK and how the
organization now had about 3,000 members in camps in northern
Iraq. Ozkok argued PKK/Kadek was now preparing to launch
attacks on Turkey. He said one should not discriminate
between terrorist organizations and PKK/KADEK, and argued the
organization should be eliminated and dismantled. He
recalled that the USG and GOT were already engaged in
discussions on how to do this.



6. (C) Ozkok noted that Turkey and the US have a long
history of cooperation in working together militarily. With
respect to Iraq, Turkey had granted every US request save
one: the transit of US ground forces through Turkey prior to
the commencement of military operations against Iraq last
March. He noted that this was the Parliament's to decide:
"we all must respect that decision." Ozkok said the recent
parliamentary authorization permitting a troop contribution
to the stabilization force had as its top objective
assistance to the Iraqi people, to give them hope and
prosperity. The contribution would also be a way to assist
the US. Details on place, timing, and ROE were yet to be
worked out. Senator McConnell expressed appreciation for the
GOT's and Parliament's decision to help stabilize Iraq, a
sentiment seconded by the other senators. He also praised
the Turkish armed forces' cooperation with the US.



7. (C) Senator Thomas asked Ozkok to elaborate on the
mission that Turkish troops would perform in Iraq. Ozkok
said that the military would be there not to resolve all of
Iraq's problems, but to create the conditions for other
organizations to properly function. Stability would permit
other government agencies to work on infrastructure
improvements and other assistance projects. Senator Chafee
asked how the situation and mission in Iraq might differ from
that in Kosovo and Bosnia. Ozkok replied that the Balkans
conflicts were internal conflicts between indigenous
populations whereas the situation in Iraq was brought about
by outside intervention. This has led to a different kind of
situation in Iraq; a situation which US forces have handled
well, he said. He noted that Iraq also had ethnic and
religious differences, but the divisions were not as great as
in the Balkans. He also commented that one reason to
maintain Iraq's territorial integrity was that an Iraq
without Kurds would be dominated by the Shia who were
susceptible to Iranian influence.



8. (C) Ozkok asked the Senators what they saw as Iraq's end
state. Senator Chafee replied "democracy is the goal."
Ozkok said that Turkey knew from its own experience that one
cannot learn democracy overnight. Iraqis will face difficult
choices, such as whether to have a parliamentary or
presidential system of government. Turkey's own experience
might be of some help.



9. (C) Senator McConnell expressed the hope that
arrangements for the deployment of Turkish forces to Iraq
could be achieved in a way so as to not cause problems.
Ozkok acknowledged that there had been statements by
individual Iraqi leaders opposing the Turkish deployment. A
request for a troop contribution from the temporary
government in Iraq might address the public's
misunderstanding caused by the negative statements. Senator
McConnell noted that the deployment should be seen as an
opportunity to improve relations. He recalled seeing
soldiers from the 101st in Mosul doing a lot of civilian
projects and working directly with the local people. If
Turkey did this, it could be a major contribution to future
Turkey-Iraq relations. Ozkok agreed, saying that Turkish
forces had experience in this regard from its participation
in peacekeeping in the Balkans and Afghanistan. If Iraqis
approach the Turks in an unbiased way, they will soon
understand that Turkey wants to contribute positively to
their prosperity and stability.


--------------
ARMENIA
--------------



10. (C) Erdogan said he would like to open the border with
ARMENIA, but ARMENIA must first recognize the border. &How
can we have normal relations with a country that does not
recognize our borders?& In response to a question from
Senator McConnell about the prospects for improved relations
between Turkey and ARMENIA, Ozkok professed a desire for
better relations, noting that the issue was in the hands of
the GOT (i.e. civilians). He went on to say that if ARMENIA
dropped the genocide issue, there would be no obstacle to
better relations. After being reminded by TGS Deputy J3 MG
Kalyoncu, Ozkok noted that because the concept of genocide is
embedded in the ARMENIAn constitution, it would not be easy
for Yerevan to alter its policy.


--------------
Syria
--------------



11. (C) Erdogan argued that President al-Assad was &more
Western and peaceful8 than his father, and therefore
represents an opportunity for change. He claimed that Syria
is moving toward democratization, and that Turkey and Syria
have overcome past differences.


--------------
Civilian-Military Relations in Turkey
--------------



12. (C) Senator McConnell asked Ozkok what changes might be
necessary for Turkey to join the EU, noting that
military-government relations in Turkey were different than
other places in Europe. Ozkok acknowledged that the
relationship was different in Turkey, but he believed the
differences were not great. He noted that the Cabinet
appoints the TGS Chief without the military putting forward a
candidate. Although the government usually selects the most
senior Army officer, on two occasions civilian leaders have
chosen someone else. Some changes had already been made
regarding the composition and function of the National
Security Council. While the military had made suggestions to
soften the impact of these reforms ("changing attitudes and
biases takes time," he said),TGS had not opposed them.


-------------- --------------
Help in Bilateral Defense Industrial Relationship
-------------- --------------



13. (C) Ozkok told the delegation that the TGS attaches high
importance to its defense industrial relationship with the
US. He lamented that sometimes Turkey encountered some
difficulties in getting what it needed. Particularly,
technology transfer and congressional approval for defense
equipment transactions were "sometimes difficult." He
solicited the senators' assistance to facilitate approvals,
which he saw as important to improve US-Turkish relations.



14. (U) Codel McConnell did not clear this message before it
departed post.
EDELMAN