AMBASSADOR AND DCHOD BASBUG DISCUSS CYPRUS, EU

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 ANKARA 005115 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/09/2029 TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV PARM IZ CY IR TU SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR AND DCHOD BASBUG DISCUSS CYPRUS, EU REFORMS, AND BILATERAL RELATIONS REF: A. STATE 184340 ¶B. ADANA 104 Classified By: Ambassador Eric S. Edelman. Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (S) TGS Deputy Chief GEN Basbug told the Ambassador September 8 that developments regarding Cyprus were "worrisome," pointing at the European Court of Human Rights consideration of Loizidou clone cases and the lack of EU action on ending the isolation of northern Cypriots. He hinted that Ankara would be willing to cancel the Toros exercise on Cyprus scheduled for October. Basbug was clearly bothered by the press conference that day by EC Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen in Diyarbakir. While he had no problem with the implementation of enacted laws, including those on cultural rights, he suspected European calls for Turkey to implement these laws as an attempt to push the envelope on Kurdish rights to the point Turkey's unity would be threatened. Basbug characterized the possibility of Iran possessing nuclear weapons as "unacceptable," although he did not indicate what Turkey could do to prevent that occurrence. He refused to discuss the PKK in northern Iraq, noting simply, "you know our position; it has not changed." Basbug asserted that TGS was awaiting a green light from the prime ministry before moving forward on our request for a logistics hub at Incirlik Air Base. On other issues: -- The Ambassador registered concerns about changes to Turkey's military procurement/defense industry policy that could prejudice American firms; -- Basbug noted that, in response to a request, TGS was looking for an instructor to send to the Marshall Center; it might be a civilian; -- The Ambassador acknowledged that the US still owed Turkey an answer to its request for American staff for its Center of Excellence for the Combat Against Terrorism; -- Basbug confirmed that MFA has the lead on trucker security in Iraq for the GOT; and, -- Basbug will be happy to receive DASD Brzezinski when he visits later this month. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador met with Turkish General Staff (TGS) Deputy CHOD GEN Ilker Basbug on Sept 8. Basbug had requested the two get together for a post-summer tour d'horizon. -------------- Cyprus -------------- 
¶3. (C) The Ambassador recalled his raising with Basbug the planned fall exercises on Cyprus during a brief encounter the previous week. He said he had also raised the issue with FM Gul. Washington would help move the parties if Ankara was favorably disposed to continuing the tradition of canceling these exercises. Basbug responded by saying Cyprus was at the top of Ankara's agenda. TGS was following developments closely and had "great concerns" about the situation. Yet, it was difficult to get a complete picture with developments at the UN, in the EU, with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and internal problems on the island. Turkish public opinion had expected a bright future after the April referendum, but what has occurred has been disappointing, he said. ¶4. (C) In response to a question, the Ambassador said he understood that a number of claims were being brought against Turkey for property Greek Cypriots lost with the division of the island. Basbug recalled that in the original Loizidou case, Turkey was advised to pay the award to make the issue go away. But this week, a number of similar cases had been opened at the ECHR. Turkey was arguing that the referendum had changed the situation on the island, but the court's attitude now appears not to have changed. This was "disappointing," Basbug stated, and could produce "terrible consequences." The Ambassador suggested that it may still be a little early to be able to judge what the attitude of the court will be. He undertook to look into the situation, understanding that the US was not a party to the European court. ¶5. (C) Basbug said the entire situation was "worrisome." The Ambassador understood Turkey's frustration at the lack of progress within the EU to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. However, strategically, Turkey's exemplary effort in the run-up to the referendum was recognized within the EU. Basbug acknowledged this point, "but we need results," he said. The Ambassador agreed that the slow pace of EU efforts, complicated by the GOC's attitude within EU councils, was disappointing. He then went on to explain what steps the USG has taken (e.g., receiving "PM" Talat, visiting northern Cypriot officials in their offices, accelerating visa processing, $30 million in ESF, AID assistance) and others that the US is working on (code-share flight arrangements, port access for tourism, scholarships, agricultural trade). He expected that the Secretary and FM Gul would discuss this issue further when the two encounter each other on the margins of the UNGA. ¶6. (C) Returning to the fall exercises, Basbug said that TGS and MFA had discussed the issue and TGS was currently awaiting a formal paper laying out MFA's position. Once that is received, TGS will consider the question. Hinting that a cancellation was likely, he noted that perhaps Gul could discuss this issue with his Greek counterpart in New York later this month. ¶7. (C) Turning to the UN, Basbug complained about "certain phrases" in the SYG's report following the referendum. The Ambassador responded that on balance the report was positive toward Turkey and lamented that the Beslan tragedy had required Russia President Putin to cancel his visit to Turkey, depriving Ankara of an opportunity to press Moscow for a more constructive attitude toward Cyprus in the UN Security Council. The Ambassador promised to stay in close contact as UNFICYP comes up for consideration in the UNSC. Basbug concluded the discussion of Cyprus by saying that the situation was "not hopeful." "What is worrisome is that tomorrow someone will say that now Turkey must accept" some new concession. -------------- Iraq: Truckers and Terrorists -------------- ¶8. (C) Basbug acknowledged the Ambassador's observation that TGS was concerned about the safety of Turkish truckers in Iraq. He said TGS representatives were participating in MFA-led meetings on this issue. He thought the problem was mainly on the drive south of Mosul and the entire route going north. He said Turkey was encouraging drivers not to go south of Mosul unless they are in a protected convoy, but not everyone is heeding this advice. ¶9. (C) Regarding the PKK/Kongra Gel, Basbug said, "I don't want to discuss the PKK. You know our position. It has not changed." -------------- Logistics Hub -------------- ¶10. (S) The Ambassador asked Basbug for the status of the US request to establish a logistics hub for OIF and OEF at Incirlik AB. Basbug said TGS had sent a letter to the Prime Minister's office about a month ago and was now waiting for a response. He said the recommendation was positive. (Comment: When we checked with the Prime Ministry several weeks ago, they informed us that they need take no action on our request. We will follow up.) -------------- Turkish Procurement/Defense Industry Policy -------------- ¶11. (C) The Ambassador noted that he was receiving numerous questions from American defense firms about doing business in Turkey. With the cancellation of a number of tenders, difficult negotiations over AEW&C, and stalled negotiations over additional Sea Hawk purchases, it is difficult to know what to say. Requirements such as full disclosure of source codes would make it extremely difficult for American firms to compete. He said he would be seeing the Undersecretary for Defense Industry Murad Bayar soon to discuss these issues. The Ambassador explained that he was concerned not only because of his commercial interest in selling more American products, but also about the corrosive effects on interoperability if Turkey moved away from American military equipment. Basbug said Bayar was the right person to talk to about this. He then asked whether the Marine Corps or the Department of the Navy had canceled the AH-1Z program. The Ambassador said he hadn't heard and would be surprised if that were the case, but would check. (Comment: We confirmed to TGS later that day that the program continues.) -------------- Iran's Nuclear Ambitions -------------- ¶12. (C) The Ambassador raised Iran's nuclear program, including Tehran's pattern of deception and concealment in dealing with the IAEA and others, and asked whether Basbug was concerned about the possibility of a nuclear armed neighbor. Basbug responded by saying that such a possibility was "unacceptable." He noted wryly that the intelligence must be concrete and that Ankara did not know for sure what the Iranians had already or would have in the future. He acknowledged that he had had several discussions with Israelis about the situation, and repeated that the possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran was "unacceptable." However, that was a different question than what Turkey might be able to do about the possibility. The Ambassador pushed back on Basbug's comment about intelligence, noting that the final word on what Iraq had was yet to be heard, and that the worrying information on Iran's program was not US intelligence but IAEA reports. -------------- Concerns about EU Reforms -------------- ¶13. (C) Basbug raised without prompting the GOT's EU-related minority rights reform effort. For the past two to three years, he said, parliament had passed many laws granting "cultural rights." The changes were significant and he had no issue with what had been passed. "There is nothing left to be done or to be requested," he opined. Nonetheless, the EU keeps asking for more. They keep calling for more follow up on implementation. "What do they mean by this? What are the deficiencies?" he asked. ¶14. (C) He said that recent events in Turkey's southeast "exceed the law," citing Lela Zana's tour of the region after her release from jail. Zana had spoken in Kurdish while participating in political activities, a clear violation of the Political Parties Law, he said. On September 7, the Diyarbakir mayor reportedly asked EC Enlargement Commissioner Verheugen whether this element of the law needed to be changed to meet EU requirements. The fact that the mayor asked the question demonstrated that he realized this was a violation when Zana was in his city. ¶15. (C) Basbug also asserted that Turkish public opinion should not be neglected. He did not oppose Verheugen's visit to Diyarbakir because he needed to write the report on Turkey's progress on the Copenhagen Criteria. However, some other "unnecessary visits" are not well perceived by the Turkish public. When asked, he said this applied to the US, Europeans, "everybody." The Ambassador responded that if Basbug was concerned by Consulate Adana DPO's August 12 call on the Diyarbakir mayor (ref b),he should know that the DPO conveyed a clear message condemning terrorism and reiterating USG support for the political unity of Turkey. ¶16. (C) Finally, Basbug noted that Zana had written to jailed PKK/Kongra Gel leader Abdullah Ocalan saying, "we will get our political, social and cultural rights through EU membership." If the EU is a vehicle by which Zana's supporters can achieve their objectives, then what more are they looking for, he asked. Two security forces members were killed in the southeast on September 7, he said. Tomorrow another may lose his life. Why are we asking these people to risk their lives, he asked. (Comment: His implication being that Zana and her supporters see the EU as a tool to partition Turkey.) "There is nothing else to give and we have given more than enough," he said. ¶17. (C) Saying that he had just seen Verheugen's press conference in Diyarbakir, he complained that Verheugan referred to "Kurdish citizens." "Is that proper?" he asked. While Turkey had many citizens of Kurdish origin, he termed the idea of Kurdish citizenship as "completely wrong." Similarly, he believed references to Turkey's approval of "Kurdish education" to be wrong, believing that phrase to imply using Kurdish for education instead of Turkish. "The teaching of Kurdish" is what was approved. The Ambassador agreed that cultural rights were a sensitive subject requiring precision in the words used to discuss it. -------------- Other Issues -------------- ¶18. (U) Brzezinski Visit: Basbug replied "no problem" when the Ambassador asked that he receive DASD Brzezinski when he visits later this month. ¶19. (U) Marshall Center: The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the increased number of Turkish participants in Marshall Center programs this year. Basbug replied that, in response to a request, TGS was looking to identify an instructor to send to the Center; this person might be a civilian. ¶20. (C) COE Staffing: The Ambassador began by noting that he had spoken with VCJCS Gen Pace who had reported having had a productive telecon with Basbug recently. He noted that Gen Pace knew that he still owed Basbug an answer to his request for American military members to staff the planned NATO Center of Excellence for the Combat Against Terrorism in Ankara. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶21. (C) Of the lengthy agenda, Basbug had only two issues he wanted to register with us: TGS is dissatisfied with the situation concerning Cyprus and concerned about a possible hidden agenda the EU has for Turkey. On Cyprus, there is hope that Ankara will agree to cancel this year's Toros exercise, although there is decidedly less enthusiasm to continue to be helpful on Cyprus given the Turks' disappointment with the international response following the Turkish Cypriots' expression of support for a settlement in the April referendum. On the EU, a sense that Brussels keeps shifting the goal posts has generated some obvious frustration within the military that feels it has already compromised a lot in the national effort to gain a date to begin accession negotiations. We, nevertheless, perceive no waning of TGS's support for eventual Turkish membership in the EU. End comment. ¶22. Baghdad minimize considered. EDELMAN