Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04ANKARA5836
2004-10-14 14:43:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ankara
Cable title:  

TURKISH MFA ON ISAF VII COMMAND, ISAF/OEF MERGER,

Tags:  PREL MOPS TU IZ AF 
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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 ANKARA 005836 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS TU IZ AF
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA ON ISAF VII COMMAND, ISAF/OEF MERGER,
TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN NATO TRAINING MISSION-IRAQ

REF: ANKARA 4554

Classified By: DCM Robert S. Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 005836

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/11/2014
TAGS: PREL MOPS TU IZ AF
SUBJECT: TURKISH MFA ON ISAF VII COMMAND, ISAF/OEF MERGER,
TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN NATO TRAINING MISSION-IRAQ

REF: ANKARA 4554

Classified By: DCM Robert S. Deutsch for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) PolMilOff called on MFA Head of Department for NATO
Alper Coskun Oct. 8 to follow up on outstanding issues. On
Turkey's command of ISAF VII starting in Feb. 2005, Coskun
reported that planning remains on track, and that Turkey is
waiting for the results of a NATO force generation meeting in
November before deciding whether to offer a Corps HQ, a Corps
HQ plus one battalion, or a Corps HQ plus two battalions
(reftel). On Turkey's desire for NATO Common Funding for its
deployment, Coskun said the GOT will seek the "maximum
possible," and will carefully study what EUROCORPS gets.
However, Coskun said (adding "Please don't tell TGS I'm
telling you this"),Turkey is prepared to pay whatever is
necessary out of its own budget once the Common Funding issue
is decided.


2. (C) PolMilOff inquired as to Turkey's thinking regarding
combining OEF and ISAF under a unified command. In response,
Coskun read from the final version of the speech he had
drafted for Minister of Defense Gonul for the Romania
informal ministerial. Any such decision, he read, would make
sense militarily. However, it would also have to take into
account "the distinct nature of both operations" and "the
view of the Afghans themselves." Coskun was anxious to say
that the GOT did not oppose the merger, but that it would
seek to proceed carefully before agreeing to this move.
Coskun confirmed that the Germans were "dead-set against"
this proposal, and was skeptical that we would be able to
turn them around.


3. (C) Finally, we asked whether Turkey was contemplating
sending its own personnel to Iraq to take part in NATO
Training Mission-Iraq. Coskun responded that the GOT was
considering this issue at a senior level, and was concerned
about both domestic and Iraqi sensitivities regarding the
presence of Turkish troops on Iraqi soil for the mission. He
added that Turkey was already offering a number of training
courses under the umbrella of its PfP Training Center for the
Iraqis, including a course in November in Ankara. PolMilOff
responded that we understood that the IIG had assented to
(indeed, had sought) this mission, and that it had presumably
done so in full knowledge that all NATO members would be
invited to participate. Coskun replied that he assumed this
was the case, but appreciated hearing it from us.


4. (U) Baghdad minimize considered.
EDELMAN