TURKEY WELCOMES AFGHANISTAN COUNTERNARCOTICS PLAN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L ANKARA 006878 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SA/A, INL, EUR/SE, AND EUR/RPM E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/09/2014 TAGS: SNAR PARM AF TU SUBJECT: TURKEY WELCOMES AFGHANISTAN COUNTERNARCOTICS PLAN, BUT OPPOSES ISAF ROLE IN ERADICATION REF: STATE 248010 Classified By: PolMilCouns Timothy A. Betts for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) . ¶1. (C) Per reftel instructions, PolMilCouns presented our Afghanistan counternarcotics plan on Dec. 9 to Aydin Evirgen, MFA Deputy Director General for South Asia. Evirgen welcomed our comprehensive approach, and signaled Turkey's willingness to engage on this issue. He said that Turkey is also alarmed by the significant growth in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. ¶2. (C) Evirgen cautioned, however, that Turkey remains concerned about ISAF involvement in counternarcotics efforts, and is opposed to ISAF having a role in eradication, because it could damage ISAF's standing with the Afghan public and make its peacekeeping mission harder. He thought education should be the first step. PolMilCouns pointed out that our plan emphasizes that the Afghan government would have the lead on this issue and added that under our understanding of the mission's mandate, ISAF commanders have the discretion as to whether to participate in counternarcotics efforts. Moreover, ISAF included PRTs that could contribute to other pillars of our plan; ISAF's involvement need not be solely military in nature. Evirgen took the point, but again emphasized that Turkey would oppose any ISAF involvement in eradication efforts. ¶3. (U) Dushanbe minimize considered. EDELMAN