AFGHANISTAN: GOT'S DECISION NOT TO ESTABLISH A

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 003618 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/SE, SA E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/25/2014 TAGS: PREL MOPS AF TU SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: GOT'S DECISION NOT TO ESTABLISH A PRT REMAINS UNCHANGED REF: A) ANKARA 3121 B) ANKARA 3511 Classified By: (U) Classified by Deputy Chief of Mission Robert S. Deut sch. Reasons: 1.4 (B and D). ¶1. (C) Deputy pol-mil counselor contacted MFA DDG for South Asian Affairs Aydin Evirgen June 25, following up on the Ambassador's earlier conversation with MFA U/S Ziyal on Turkish thinking on PRTs (ref a). Evirgen said that Turkey had completely abandoned its proposal to establish a PRT in Takhar. He noted that PM Erdogan recently had sent a letter to NATO SYG advising of Turkey's decision to abandon its PRT proposal, and added that the PM and other senior government officials had reiterated that position during a meeting June ¶23. Evirgen noted that Turkish General Staff (TGS) CHOD GEN Ozkok and SACEUR GEN Jones had discussed Afghanistan and PRTs the night before (June 23),but he did not elaborate further. ¶2. (C) Evirgen said Turkey has shifted its focus in Afghanistan to preparing to deploy the NATO Rapid Deployment Corps-Turkey to Afghanistan in February 2005 if chosen by NATO. Echoing TGS DCHOD GEN Basbug's earlier comment to the Ambassador (ref b),Evirgen said there were two issues that required clarification before the GOT could say "yes" to assuming ISAF command: first, nailing down a rotation plan with a commitment from whomever would follow the Turks; and second, what percentage of the cost of the deployment would be paid by NATO. On the former, Evirgen stressed that Turkey wanted to avoid a repeat of its experience in commanding ISAF II, when the Turks were required to remain on for an additional two months while they waited for Germany and the Netherlands to agree to assume command. On the latter, he said the NATO budget committee was already considering what the Alliance's policy should be. EDELMAN